Five Minutes
by WhatTheF-ckHaveYouDoneLately
Summary: Post 1x10. Elena has just fought with Stefan, and ends up going to California with Damon for "five minutes." A bond she'll never break. An adventure she'll never forget. Five minutes was all it took to change her. Was all it took for her to fall for him.
1. For Five Minutes

**Author's Note:**

**So I am going to be finishing the fic I've already started, but I took a short break to start this one. It starts out picking up where "The Turning Point" left off, but after this chapter it'll be strictly AU. I'll be posting chapter 21 of Angel of Mercy soon!**

I knew I was probably driving far too fast, but my mind still couldn't wrap around what I had just seen.

I was a dead ringer for Katherine Peirce. And worse, I was her replacement. I was the girl that looked like her and Stefan had thought I could be Katherine. Tears ran down my face as I tried to process it all.

I had loved Stefan. I had accepted him for what he is. We'd slept together!

My mind was so consumed with these thoughts that I didn't see the man in the road until the last second. My eyes went wide and I gasped as I swerved to avoid him, but I felt the car hit him.

My car turned over and over and I was tossed every which way. When the car finally landed upside down, I was dizzy, disoriented, and sore.

I gasped and coughed and found myself looking at the man I had hit. Oh my god. He was _moving_. Fear shot through me and I began fumbling uselessly with my seatbelt.

My heart raced as he came closer. I made low noises of fear, and I screamed when his boots stopped outside my window.

Suddenly the boots disappeared and the hooded figure ran off into the night. I was squinting out into the darkness, trying to figure what had made the man run away, when a face appeared not six inches from mine. I let out another small, startled scream. Damon was knelt down outside the car, peering in at me.

"How are you doin' in there?" He asked, assessing my situation.

"Damon?" I said, and for once in my life, I think I was actually happy to see him.

"You look stuck," he said and stood up.

"It's my seatbelt," I said as he shifted the car slightly

"Shh, shh…" He whispered to me, and then knelt beside me again.

"I'm going to get you out of here," he told me. "I want you to put your hands on the roof," he instructed, and I placed my hands on the roof.

"Just like that," he encouraged.

"You ready?" He asked, and I nodded weakly.

"One… two… three." He reached in and undid my seatbelt, and I fell limply from the seat. My legs felt weak and everything was spinning.

"I've got you," he said quietly as he pulled me out of the car.

I hung limply in his arms, feeling weak and on the verge of passing out.

"You okay? Can you stand? Is anything broken?" He asked, his voice heightening with worry with each question.

I shook my head and, not releasing me, he gently lowered me to where I was partially upright. My legs immediately gave out and he caught me before I even fell.

"Whoa," he said gently as he righted me.

"You are fading fast, Elena," he said, pushing my hair from my face.

"Elena, look at me. Focus," he said, touching my lower lip with his thumb.

"Look at me," he repeated. I managed to focus on his face, but everything seemed very distant and blurry. He studied me, gently stroking my hair again.

"I look like her." I choked out.

"What?" He asked, looking into my eyes.

That was when I fainted.

* * *

I woke up briefly at one point, but it was a very short few moments of consciousness.

I felt movement, but it wasn't dizziness. I opened my eyes to see the woods passing by at vampire speed, and found my arms locked around Damon's neck.

In my daze, I felt oddly safe with my arms locked around him. My head was on his shoulder, and I felt the smooth, cool feel of leather against my face. As the woods flew by, I tightened my arms around his neck, clinging the best I could in my weakened state. In response, I felt him give me a reassuring squeeze. He had one arm under my knees and the other under my back, and I knew that even at this speed I wouldn't fall.

"You okay down there?" He asked, looking down at me.

"I'm…fine," I said before I passed out again.

* * *

When my eyes opened, I was staring out the window of a car. I felt my eyes widen and I tried to make sense of my most recent handful of memories. It was blurry, but I knew that I'd had an accident.

When I turned to see who was driving, I found myself looking at none other than Damon Salvatore.

"Sleep well?" He asked with that cocky smile that grated on my nerves.

"Where are we?" I asked, straightening up and looking around.

"On our way to the airport." He replied with a smile.

"Airport? No. I am _not_ going to an airport with you, Damon. Please just pull over," I said, shaking my head. Damon ignored me and kept driving.

"Damon, I mean it. Pull over," I said, getting antsy.

"You were way easier to put up with when you were unconscious," he said and pulled off to the side of the road. The road was deserted, and we were surrounded by fields and fences on either side.

I got out of the car and, with my hands still braced against the car for support, doubled over. I made a mall sound of discomfort as nausea swept over me and my back throbbed.

Suddenly there was a hand on my arm and an arms around my waist, supporting me. I jumped and met Damon's worried blue eyes.

"I'm fine," I said, stepping away from his arm. I took a few deep breaths and turned to him.

"Please just take me home," I said, going to the extent of pleading. Even though I was pleading, there was a rough edge in my voice showing my anger.

"We're already almost there. C'mon, Elena, do you really want to go home right now?" He asked, stepping forward.

"Yes, I do. Nobody knows where I am and they are going to be worried sick," I explained.

"May I ask what happened to your magical necklace?" He asked with a smirk, lifting my hair and touching my bare neck.

I flinched away and reached up and touched my neck. Great. My vervain necklace was laying on a table in Stefan's bedroom on top of the picture that had gotten me into this situation to begin with.

"I could always…convince you," he said, and I could hear the threat to compel me clear in his voice.

"What is it that you're trying to prove?" I asked, a desperate plea creeping into my voice. I was hurt, I was sick, and I wanted to go home.

Before he could answer, I heard my phone ring in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw that the caller ID said it was Stefan. I gave a soft groan of exasperation. I did _not_ want to talk to him right now.

"Here, let me get it," Damon said, and took the phone from my hand.

"Elena's phone. How may I help you?" He answered.

I couldn't hear the other end of the conversation, so I just listened to Damon's.

"She's being a little feisty, but we're doing quite well, actually. Getting along great," he said, his voice sounding completely honest.

I bristled at this lie and glared at him, but he just smirked at me.

"Of course I'll bring her home…eventually," he said to Stefan.

"Have a good day, Stefan," he said and hung up.

"Getting along great? Eventually?" I said, folding my arms.

He just shrugged and handed my phone and then leaned against the car.

"Look, Damon, you have to take me home," I said, agitation running through me.

"Why do you want to go back now?" He asked, walking forward to stand in front of me.

I silently listened, and I thought about Stefan trying to lie to cover himself, telling me all about how I'm not his Katherine. The mere thought made me even sicker to my stomach.

"What's the rush? Time out. Trust me, your problems are still going to be there when you get home," he said, and I found myself actually starting to consider the idea. It was stupid to even consider going anywhere with someone as dangerous and ruthless as Damon, but I couldn't help considering it.

"Look, step away from your life for five minutes," he said, and I felt my resolve weaken a tiny bit. But still, what about my problems at home? I couldn't just run away every time things got rough.

"Five minutes," he repeated, and before rejecting the idea again, I decided to think it through.

"I am going to be safe with you?" I finally asked.

"Yes."

"Do you promise not to do that mind control thing with me?"

"Yes."

"Can I trust you?" I asked, and he actually paused to debate this.

"Probably not," he finally said, smirking at me.

_Five minutes…_ his offer rang in my head.

"Come on. Let's go. You and I. Five minutes," he said, separating them all out into separate sentences and stepping closer with each one.

We were now a hairsbreadth away from each other, and I finally sighed and looked up at him.

"Fine," I said, giving way to the temptation to walk away for five minutes.

* * *

"So, where are we going?" I asked as we pulled up at the airport.

"California. I thought I beach would do you some good," he said, opening my car door for me.

"Wow. I haven't been to the coast in years," I said.

"Well, that's about to change," he said.

"Don't we need luggage?" I asked, realizing I was hardly packed for this.

"Not necessary. We'll buy stuff when we get to California."

"Damon, we need everything. That's a lot to just run out and buy," I reminded him as we walked.

He scoffed. "Not for me, it's not. Elena, I am over a century and a half years old. I did build up a good bit of money during that period of time," he said.

"Okay," I shrugged.

Within minutes, we were boarding the plane. Unsurprisingly, he had arranged for us to fly first class. We took our seats, which were in the back. I slid in beside the window and lifted an eyebrow as Damon slid in beside me.

"There's a seat across from me, you know," I said as he stretched his long legs out in front of him.

"Well, this is much for comfy," he replied and beckoned to the flight attendant.

"You must be hungry by now," he said. And he was right, I was starving.

I ate a very good lunch, and found myself tired by the time I'd finished. Damon and I had been on the road awhile, and the sunlight coming through the window made me want to curl up under it and take a nap.

But I also couldn't shake the uneasy feeling I got when I thought of sleeping right next to Damon. Yes, I'd trusted him enough to come with him, but the thought still made me uncomfortable.

"You look tired," he noted, as if reading my mind.

"Um, a little…" My voice trailed off and I shifted in my seat.

"Sleep then," he said with a shrug.

I was silent, because I didn't want his temper flaring up because I didn't want to sleep when he was around.

"What's wrong, can't get comfortable?" He asked, and held out his arm. I was confused briefly, but then I realized what he was offering.

"Actually, I think I'll just sleep in this little patch of sunlight over here," I said, even more uncomfortable at the thought of sleeping with my head on his shoulder than at the thought of sleeping near him.

"Alright, then. Sleep well," he said and withdrew his arm. Thankfully, he didn't seem offended or angry, so I happily curled up under the window. We had already taken flight, so all there was to do was sleep until we got to whatever airport we were switching off at.

I fell asleep within a minute.

* * *

I woke up feeling warm and comfortable, and I snuggled closer to the wall, which seemed oddly inviting.

And I was just fine until the wall snuggled back.

I gave a little yelp when I found my head on Damon's shoulder. I was still in my patch of light, which confused me until I realized I was on his lap. I pushed myself out of his arms and glared at him.

"What are you looking at me like that for?" He asked, feigning innocence.

"I was just fine where I was," I said, smoothing out my hair.

"Oh, don't look at me with those judgey little eyes," he said.

"Where have I heard _that_ before?" I said, remembering the day he'd shown up at the house looking for Stefan.*

"Wouldn't know," he said, though he knew very well what I what I was talking about.

"Yes you would," I argued, folding my arms.

"You want me. You find yourself drawn to me. You think about me even when-"

"Oh shut up!" I said, and actually laughed at the fact he remembered his little speech that he had given me before he'd tried to compel me that night in the school parking lot.**

"Make me," he said, leaning close.

I simply glared at him and shoved him back. Unfazed, he laughed and leaned back into his seat.

"Do _not_ play games with me, Damon," I said, looking over at him.

"Me? Play games? Never," he said, batting his eyelashes. I reached over and smacked his arm, actually fighting laughter. When he wasn't trying to eat the town, Damon wasn't all _that_ bad.

For the next several hours, we talked, bickered, and actually didn't get along all that badly. But after awhile, I started growing tired again.

"Go ahead and go to sleep. I promise I won't sit you in my lap again," he said.

"I am just fine to stay awake," I said, and folded my arms.

"Elena, you are falling on your face. Go to bed," he said, looking at me with a mixture of worry and amusement. And odd combination for him.

"Fine. But if you so much as touch me in my sleep, I swear you're going to be walking funny for a week," I said, and leaned back in my seat and closed my eyes.

"I'll keep that in mind," he said before I fell asleep.

* * *

I woke up comfortable, well rested, and seemingly not on anyone's lap. My eyelashes fluttered and I suddenly recognized the feel of leather against my face. Well, I wasn't on his lap, but my head was yet again resting on his shoulder.

I opened my mouth to tell him that when I said "so much as touch me" that it also meant not putting my head on his shoulder. But then I stopped, because I also noticed he was silent, which was uncharacteristic of him.

I looked up to see that he was asleep, with his head leaned sideways against the wall.

I couldn't help but notice how innocent he looked in his sleep. His mouth was not curved into that cocky smile, there was no mocking edge in his eyes, and his arms weren't crossed. It was hard to stay mad at him when he was asleep.

I sighed and put my head on his shoulder, not falling asleep but just sitting there.

Damon woke up when the plane landed and it was time to switch to another plane, the one that would take us the rest of the way. He seemed surprised to find my head on his shoulder and me wide awake. We slid out of our seats and left the plane with everyone else, and I actually felt a tingle of anticipation at the thought of California.

* * *

We finally arrived in California, and I was eager and excited. Damon said that he'd arranged to have a rental car waiting on us, and he guided me over to a red Ferrari California.

"Ha, ha. Very funny," I said, referring to the car name and the fact it matched out location.

"Well, we have to travel in style," he said, and opened the passenger side door for me. I got in and after he got in, we pulled out of the airport and he drove us to one of the most expensive hotels I'd ever seen. The top was down, so I was free to observe and admire my surroundings.

"It's amazing here," I said as I looked around.

Damon seemed happy with my reaction and opened my door when we got to the hotel. We walked in and I was yet again shocked at how stunning the interior was. I looked around while Damon checked us in, and started studying to artwork on the walls.

"C'mon, let's go upstairs, change clothes, and then we'll hit the streets." I turned to see Damon behind me and I was thrilled that we would be exploring a little before taking to our rooms for the night. For once, I wanted to have some fun, and this was the brother I needed for that.

"Sounds perfect," I said, and followed him upstairs. He unlocked a door on the tenth floor and motioned for me to go in after he switched on the light. I looked walked in and lifted my eyebrows when Damon followed me in. The room was incredible, with a sitting room, a bedroom, a bathroom, and a kitchen. This wasn't a hotel room, it was a suite.

I walked into the bedroom and immediately spotted the two large beds on either side of the room.

"No. No way are we sharing a room," I protested instantly.

"Sorry, this placed was booked solid and accept for this room," he said and started pulling clothes out of the dresser on what I assumed to be his side of the room.

"Lovely. Just lovely."

_

* * *

_

_"If I told you you were right, would you take my hand tonight? If I told you reasons why, would you leave your life, and ride?"_

~The Cary Brothers

* * *

* - Episode 6, Lost Girls

** - Episode 3, Friday Night Bites


	2. Like Today Never Happened

"So, where do you want to go?" Damon asked when I walked out of the bathroom. I'd taken a shower and was now dressed in dark skinny jeans and a black halter top, which I figured I could wear just about anywhere. He had arranged to have clothes waiting for us in the dressers and closet.

"Well, I'm sure you've been here before. What's there to do?" I asked, sitting on my bed.

"Everything," he said with a wicked smile.

"Alright, then. Show me everything," I said, with a twinge of anticipation.

"We'll start with nightlife," he said and got to his feet.

By the time we'd left the airport and gotten to the hotel, it had been very late at night, so the nightlife would be in full swing.

I pulled on black high heels and left my hair down, and I'd already done my makeup, so I was ready in no time.

"Are we ready?" I asked as he pulled on his jacket.

"Absolutely," he said and guided me out the door.

* * *

We walked into an elite nightclub that Damon got us into with no problems at all. I looked around at my surroundings, and multicolored lights danced off of my skin.

We walked over to the bar and he told me to order whatever I wanted.

"Strawberry daiquiri," I said, making Damon lift his eyebrows.

"You said whatever I wanted. And if we're only going to be here for '_five minutes_,'" I air quoted the words, "then I won't even have to time to get drunk," I said as the bartender handed me my drink.

"I like your logic," he said and clicked his glass against mine.

"So do I," I said and turned up my drink. He laughed and downed his drink in one shot.I probably drank one too many daiquiris , but for the first time in a long time, I was having fun. Damon was also well on his way to hammered, and we were having fun together.

"Let's dance," he suggested and held out his hand. I bit my lip and eyed it doubtfully. I shouldn't be dancing with anyone besides Stefan, but since I was furious with him and Damon was my only other viable option, I couldn't resist.

I smiled and took his hand and he guided me to the center of the floor. We began dancing to Swithfoot's "Dare You To Move," and I found my body easily falling in tune with the song.

_What happens next? What happens next?_

Damon pulled me to him, his hands on my hips. I began to move my hips, and he mirrored me.

_I dare you to move, I dare you to move. I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor._

I put my arms around his neck and found myself entranced by those blue eyes. He wasn't compelling me, but I felt trapped by his gaze.

_I dare you to move, I dare you to move. Like today never happened._

I realized that at some point, the tiny area of space between our bodies had closed. I could feel his every movement against my body, and I knew it was the same for him. I could feel the alcohol in my system trying to take over, but I fought it tooth and nail.

_Today never happened, before._

We danced that closely for many songs, but after a few, things started getting hazy.

* * *

I woke up tired and with a killer hangover.

"Ow," I moaned, putting my hand to my head.

"I'm glad vampires don't hangovers," came a voice beside me. I turned over and saw Damon, under the blankets with me, looking exhausted.

I screamed and flung myself off the bed, landing in a tangled mess on the ground.

"What - are you - in my bed?" I shrieked, panic shooting through me.

"Sleeping, as of ten minutes ago."

"Oh my god… no, no, no," I said, wrapping my arms around myself and getting to my feet. I gave a little start when I realized I was still in my jeans and halter top.

"What did you expect?" Damon asked, lifting an eyebrow at my over relieved reaction.

"Damon, I woke up and you were in bed with me. What did you _think_ I expected?" I spat, folding my arms.

"You thought we _slept together_?" He asked, and then doubled over laughing. I flushed to what I was pretty sure was the roots of my hair and marched into the bathroom.

"It's not funny!" I called through the door as I closed it.

"Yes it is!" He replied, and I heard him start laughing again. I shook my head, stripped out of my clothes, and stepped into the shower.

I got out after washing my hair and skin, and grabbed a soft white bathrobe off of a hook on the wall. I belted it tightly and walked out into our room.

What I saw made me yelp and turn around so fast that I ran back into the door. By the time I righted myself, Damon was zipping his jeans and looked thoroughly amused.

"What-why, um, where were your clothes?" I rambled, and tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. Something I did when I was nervous.

"Right here," he said and held up the clothes he'd worn last night.

"Right. Well, next time, would you please give a girl some warning before you start changing clothes in the middle of the room?" I asked, trying to calm down. That was way more of Damon Salvatore than I had ever wanted to see in my life.

"I'll keep that in mind," he laughed and pulled on a black button down dress shirt.

I sighed, grabbed some clothes out of the closet, and went back into the bathroom. I locked the door behind me and threw the clothes on the counter. Even as I dressed, little images still danced in my mind. A completely bare chest, an all too well defined abdomen, a dusting of dark hair around his navel that led in a little trail down - I brought my thoughts to a halt and went back to getting dressed. I was so _not_ finishing that train of thought.

"So, did you like what you saw?" Damon asked through the door.

"I didn't see that much," I lied, taking a deep breath.

"Then why did you run into a door?"

"Because you startled me."

"What part startled you? Wait, never mind, I'm pretty sure I know what _part_ startled you," he said in a cocky tone of voice.

I unlocked the door, opened it, slapped him across the face, and closed the door back.

He just laughed. Seething, I opened the door back after I finished getting ready for the day.

"Don't make me regret coming with you," I said, sitting on my bed.

"How about I make it up to you," he said, grinning mischievously.

I lifted my eyebrows in question, which only made his grin widen. He pulled something out of the closet and tossed it to me, and I held up what he'd thrown me. It was a dark red bikini.

"The beach?" I asked, unable to keep the excitement from my voice.

"Yep," he said, pleased with my reaction.

As angry as he made me sometimes, I couldn't help but to look forward to it. I went into the closet, grabbed a cover-up, and went into the bathroom to change clothes.

When I came out, Damon was wearing jeans over his swim trunks and holding out his hand.

"Let's go," he said and took my hand. I wanted to shake his hand off, but I didn't feel like fighting with him again.

Downstairs, a pack with everything we needed was waiting on us, and our rental car had been pulled up in front of the hotel. Damon grabbed the canvas bag with our stuff in it and held the door of both the hotel and the car. He told me that our hotel wasn't far from the beach, and sure enough, five minutes later we were finding somewhere to park.

I had to bite my lip to keep from dropping my jaw when the beach came into view. It was beautiful. The water was a clear blue and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

We walked out onto the sand and kicked our shoes off, and Damon started pulling stuff out of the bag. He laid out two towels, and pulled out some very expensive looking sunscreen.

"Lay down," he instructed, and I laid down on one of the towels. A moment later, I felt him start applying sunscreen to my back.

I closed my eyes and found myself relaxing at the feel of his hands moving across my skin. I also felt a strange shiver when his hands rubbed my lower back.

"Turn over," he said, and I turned over to where I was on my back. He started to rub the lotion into my arms, but I sat up somewhat abruptly.

"I, um, I'll take care of the rest. Thanks," I said, and he handed me the bottle of lotion. I don't know why, but the thought of him putting his hands on my stomach and chest did very funny things to me.

He leaned back and watched my every move, making me feel more than slightly self conscious. When I was done, I stretched back out under the sun and closed my eyes.

"So, can vampires feel temperature changes like humans can?" I asked Damon, keeping my voice low.

"I can feel the sun and heat and such, but it doesn't effect me the way it does you. I don't tan, obviously."

"Huh. One more question. Can you…eat?" I asked, knowing how stupid I must sound.

"As long as I keep a healthy amount of blood in my system, my body functions… pretty normally," he said, not seeming offended by my asking or seeming to think I was silly for asking.

I just nodded and went back to sunbathing. I had just started relaxing again when I felt arms go under me and lift me off the ground.

"Damon, put me down!" I said, glaring up at him. He just smirked and suddenly there was a blur of movement.

"As you wish," he said and lowered me to where I was on my feet. And because I was expecting solid ground, it came as a slight shock when I fell in the water. I yelped slightly and quickly righted myself. When I tried to plant my feet on the ground, I simply ended up slipping under the surface of the water. I flailed and grabbed on to the first bit of leverage I could find, scrambling to cling to it.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself wrapped around and clinging to Damon. My hands were on his shoulders and my legs were wrapped tightly around his waist. My breath caught in my throat, and I untangled myself immediately.

I knew how to swim, I just had lost my balance when I'd first hit the water. I swam deeper in, and found it easy to swim because the waves weren't especially high. I swam with my legs stretched out behind me and my arms out in front of me, and I found my eyes closing as I relaxed.

Suddenly arms wrapped around me from underneath and I jerked as Damon pulled me off the surface of the water and against him. He pulled my head against his chest and I felt a huge pressure of water hit my back.

I felt him swim backwards, not letting go of me.

"You okay?" I heard him ask, though it was slightly muffled because my head was still buried in his chest.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said as he swam us to shore. He let me go and we walked over to where out towels were laid out.

"Sorry I startled you. Big wave coming. You had your eyes closed. I didn't want you drowning," he said and shrugged.

"Thank you," I said, a small smile curving my lips as I stretched out. He sprawled out his back, folding his arms behind his head. We laid contently out in the sun until he noted that I was probably starving. I hadn't eat breakfast, and it was noon.

"I'm not ready to leave yet," I laughed, but I _was_ hungry.

"We won't for long. Let's go get lunch and I'll bring you back," he said and helped me to my feet.

"Great," I said, happy we were coming back.

After eating lunch at a very nice restaurant not far from the beach, spending all day at the beach, we finally got back to the hotel.

"That was so much fun," I said as we walked in. I was awake and wired from laying on the beach all day, and I was not ready to sleep by any means. It was about seven p.m., and Damon seemed just as wired as me.

"We could change clothes and hit another nightclub," he said as we went into our room.

"Thanks but no thanks. I do not want another hangover tomorrow," I said, remembering the awful headache I'd had this morning.

"Alright, how about we spend the night in?" He suggested.

I felt my eyes widen and I drew back.

"That's not what I meant," he said, almost doubled over laughing.

"With you it's hard to tell," I said and kicked off my sandals in the closet. I grabbed a tank top and sleeping pants and disappeared into the bathroom to get ready for the night.

"I was talking about watching a movie," he said through the door, and I heard the soft rustle of fabric as he got dressed for the night as well.

"What do you want to watch?" I asked as I washed my face.

"Do you want to watch a horror flick?" He asked.

"Sounds perfect," I said and ran the brush through my hair a few times.

"We have some DVDs in the living room, I'll go see what kind of horror movies we have," he called as he left the room.

When I walked into the living room, he was turning off the lights and turning on the flat screen TV.

"How about _The Messengers?"_ I said, looking at the horror DVDs he'd pulled off the shelf and stacked on the coffee table.

"Sounds good," he said and slid the movie into the DVD player. He sprawled out on the couch and slid against the back of the couch to make room for me.

I walked over and perched on the edge, not totally comfortable with our closeness.

"Come here," he said, beckoning to me with his finger.

I hesitantly laid down and rested my back against his chest. He draped one arm over my waist and his hand rested on my stomach. I flinched, but I didn't move.

When the movie went off, I was relaxed against him, and my head was resting on the free arm that wasn't across my waist. I was drowsy and would have been content to go to sleep right there, but he picked me up and carried me to my bed.

"Damon, I meant to ask you something this morning," I murmured sleepily. He lifted his eyebrows questioningly.

"Why were you in my bed this morning?" I asked, almost laughing when I remembered my reaction to finding him there.

"Because you asked me to stay with you," he said to my surprise.

"I did?" I asked, brow furrowing. A slight smile tilted up the corners of his mouth.

"Yes. You're exact words were 'stay with me,' if memory serves," he told me. In my sleepy, half awake state, the thought of asking him of all people to crawl in bed with me seemed only half crazy and slightly inviting.

"Will you stay with me again?" I said the words before I realized what I was saying.

He smiled and slid in beside me, opening his arms. I slid into them, burying my face in his chest.

This was only for five minutes. After this was over, I would go home to Stefan and… well, I wasn't sure what to do about Stefan yet. All I did know was that for five minutes, I would stay with Damon and for the first time in awhile, be myself.

Just as I started to drift off, memories assaulted me. The feel of Damon's bare chest against my face was what made me remember. Oh lord. This was not good.

I blinked several times, trying to make the images disappear. All of last night flashed through my mind, and I felt a headache creeping up. I tried to say that in my defense, I had been drunk, but deep down I knew that it had been more than that. I finally fell asleep worried and confused.

* * *

When I woke up, Damon was awake and still in bed with me.

"Morning," he greeted me as my eyes opened.

"Morning," I replied, the images of the night before last still flashing behind my eyes.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, seeming to pick up on my preoccupation.

"No. That's the thing. This _should_ be wrong. I should hate all of this. But no, _I_ asked _you_ to sleep with me for the past two nights. I'm the one that laid on the beach with you all day yesterday. I shouldn't be enjoying walking away from my life for a little while, but I am. And I don't feel like I should," I said, the words coming out of me in a blur. I had to tell him the truth, the truth about the fact that even though I shouldn't be, I was loving every second of this "five minutes."

"Elena," he said my name gently, taking my face in his hands.

"Don't you realize how much you've went through recently? Your best friend is a witch. You're a dead ringer for Katherine. Your brother's not exactly on top of the world. You need this, Elena. You need to walk away and be yourself and remember that under all of this hurt and confusion, _you_ are still there." His speech shocked me, and I blinked a couple of times, taking in his words. Scarily enough, he was right.

"Look, about what happened at that club a couple nights ago…" I found my voice trailing off and I grew uncomfortable.

"You were drunk. It wasn't real," he said, though something in his tone suggested that he wished it had been real.

"No. It wasn't real," I said to as much convince me as to convince him.

"Well, let's get ready for another day of California," he said, and my mood brightened instantly.

"What are we going to do today?" I asked, getting off the bed.

"Not going outside, apparently," he said as he looked out the window. I walked over, and sure enough, it was raining.

"Well, it looks like we'll have to amuse ourselves here," I said with a sigh.

"I think we can manage," he said with his cocky smile.

I glared when I realized he was making an innuendo, and smacked him on the arm.

"Not funny, Damon."

"Really? I found it rather amusing."

"I bet you did."

I shook my head and grabbed something comfortable to change into for our day in, and went into the bathroom. As I dressed, I knew that no matter how much fun I was having here, Hell was waiting for me when I got home.

* * *

"_These violent delights have violent ends."_

~William Shakespeare


	3. Can You Feel This?

Damon called room service to bring us breakfast, and after we ate he asked me what I wanted to do.

"We could listen to some music," I suggested, not really in the mood for a movie.

"Alright. What kind of music do you like?" He asked, looking at the shelves of music.

"A lot of different stuff. The Fray. One Republic. I like some older stuff."

"How about Anberlin?" He asked, sounding like he was about to burst out laughing.

"Perfect," I said, pulling out the album with their Enjoy the Silence cover on it. This time Damon did double over laughing.

"What's so funny?" I asked, putting the CD in.

"Nothing," he said, biting back his laughter.

He unbuttoned his shirt and held out his hand when the music started. I smiled and took it, and he pulled me to him. I found my thighs pressing against his and my hips moving in sync with his.

I rested my hands on his chest and he placed his hands on my hips. We stood in the middle of the living room, dancing so close that we could feel the other's every movement.

At one point, he started moving his body seductively against mine, his hips moving from one side to the other.*

Images of what had happened at the club flashed through my mind, and I told myself that I would not let history repeat itself where that night was concerned.

As the song ended, Damon leaned me back over his arm, and my heart skipped a beat. My arms wound around his waist, and he used his free hand to stroke down the side of my face. He leaned closer, and what was happening didn't fully hit me until we were about an inch apart.

I pulled back and tumbled out of his arms. I straightened myself and tried not to look as effected as I felt.

"You can't… I can't… that can't happen again," I said, shaking my head. He just smirked, and I knew he could see how affected I was by him.

"I mean it, Damon," I said, and disappeared into our bedroom.

I sat down on my bed and found a dark red velvet journal on my pillow. I opened it and found it totally blank. There was a note tucked inside.

_Thought you may want something to document how irresistible I am in, so I bought this while you were asleep._

_-Damon_

I smiled, grabbed a pen, and started writing.

_Dear Diary,_

_I am calling this my Five Minutes Diary. I am in California with Damon, and so much has happened. I guess I should start with what happened at the nightclub…_

I felt my gaze go unfocused as I remembered the nightclub…

* * *

We'd been dancing to a slower song, and my arms were around his neck and his arms were around my waist. And I was wasted.

He met my eyes, and even in the dimness of the club, I was still mesmerized by the crystalline blue irises of his eyes. He leaned closer to me, just as drunk as I was.

My eyes dropped to his lips, which looked soft and inviting. I leaned into him, and suddenly his lips were against mine. My lips parted, and his mouth opened against mine. It was like there had been a fuse building since we'd met, and it been lit.

Absently, I realized Damon was walking me out of the club, not breaking the kiss. A moment later, my back was against a car door. I knew then that we were in the backseat of his car, and my pulse raced at the fact we were pretty much completely alone.

He pulled me under him, and I felt his tongue slide in my mouth. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and he ran his hand down my side. He started kissing down my neck, grazing my skin with elongated fangs. But even obviously lusting for my blood, he didn't bite.

I was overwhelmed by him, feeling sensations run through me that even Stefan had never caused. I knew that the thought of Stefan should have jolted me out of my trance, but my drunken mind couldn't even process the thought of pulling away.

I felt Damon's hand slide under my shirt and his hands gently graze my stomach. He pulled away, and he met my eyes.

I nodded, and he pulled my shirt over my head. He fingered my black lace bra, and an emotion was in eyes that I couldn't identify. Something that mixed in with desire, lust, and wanting. Then I realized it was genuine affection. He wasn't just taking in my body right now, but me. He didn't just want my body, he wanted _me_.

This caused me to kiss him forcefully, winding my hands through his hair. I wanted him, he wanted me, and there was nothing else that mattered.

"The hotel. Trust me Elena, we will be much more comfortable on a bed," he said, and I nodded, enthralled by the idea of going somewhere completely alone with him. I pulled my shirt back on and we walked around and got in the front of the car.

"Wow. Did we seriously almost do that in the backseat of your car?" I asked, wondering what on earth had gotten in to me. But honestly, my blurred thoughts were focused on one thing and one thing alone, and that was Damon.

"Yep," he confirmed, breaking a couple of speed limits on the way back to the hotel. My head had partially cleared by the time we got back to our room, and though I was still very drunk, I knew that I may regret this in the morning.

Not noticing my second thoughts, Damon took my face in his hands and kissed me passionately. It took every inch of my willpower, but I pulled away.

"I'm sorry, Damon. I'm just… not ready," I said, trying to completely clear my head.

"That's alright. You will be one day," he said and gave me a quick, chaste kiss. His certainty that I would one day be his unnerved me.

* * *

I snapped back to reality with a jolt when Damon gently nudged my arm.

"You okay?" He asked, and I realized that I was laying on my bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Yeah. I'm fine," I lied, still unnerved by the vivid flashbacks. I knew right then that the only way to keep myself from ending up like Katherine was to end things now.

"Take me home." The words sounded clipped and harsh, and I winced internally at the edge in my voice.

"Why now?" He asked, brow furrowing.

"Because I'm not Katherine. And your not Stefan." These words sounded even harsher than before.

"No, I am not Stefan. And no, you are not Katherine. Who cares? Five minutes, remember?"

I scoffed. "Five minutes is up, Damon."

"Why now?" He repeated, meeting my eyes. He seemed genuinely concerned, but I knew better. This was the vampire that had tried to compel me, drained half the town, turned Vicki, and tormented Stefan.

"Don't pretend to care," I said, eyes narrowing.

"Who's pretending?" He said the words softly, and he seemed almost startled when he said them, as if he hadn't meant to say them out loud.

Taken aback slightly, I swallowed my retort.

"Damon," I started, my tone softening, "I have to go home to Stefan and deal with all of this. I can't run away forever."

"Stay two more days. Give me two more days."

I looked up into his eyes, knowing he wasn't compelling me. Two more days. Five more minutes. Suddenly the thoughts of Stefan and Katherine and everything that had happened the night of my accident came rushing to the surface.

I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around Damon, burying my face in his shoulder. To my shock, I started sobbing.

It was for my parents. It was for Bonnie almost dying had it not been for Stefan's blood. It was for finding out I was Katherine's dead ringer.

His arms encircled me, pulling me to him. I felt hollow as I clung to him. To the vampire that had turned Vicki, bitten Bonnie, and killed half the town. I cried while holding on to the cynical, reckless, scheming brother that I had thought I hated.

His hand stroked my hair with gentleness I didn't think he was capable of. When I finally pulled back, our eyes met and I knew things had reached a turning point. I trusted him. And more scarily, I was falling for him. And I think we both knew it.

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to my cheek, and I took his face in my hands.

"Damon Salvatore, I am going to have hell to pay when I get home. You better take some responsibility for kidnapping me and dragging me to California with you," I said, a small smile curving my lips.

"Of course. You were kidnapped by the evil, humanity-free Salvatore brother," he said, also smiling slightly.

"That our story and we're sticking to it," I said, releasing him as soon as I realized hands still clasped his face.

"Yep," he confirmed, his cocky smile intact.

I felt an odd friendship forming, and I had a feeling this bond was going to be nearly impossible to break. And honestly, I didn't really want to try.

* * *

The next day, he drove me to the mall, and I was overwhelmed by the size of it.

"Wow," I breathed as we walked in the main entrance.

"Cool, huh?"

"Cool? It's amazing," I said, looking at the huge fountain a few yards from us.

He smiled and guided me over to the fountain, and I leaned over to look down at the water. There were coins resting in the bottom, sparkling like diamonds.

"Ready to go shopping?" He asked, turning to me.

I nodded and drug him all over the mall as I went on an all out shopping spree. He had insisted I borrowed one of his many credit cards, and too tempted by all of the shops to argue, I had agreed and thanked him.

We finally got to a clothing store that had the old fashioned dressing rooms with curtains for doors. Damon was already loaded down with bags from various other stores, and the cashier smiled at him sympathetically.

I started going through clothes, and started throwing things behind me as I hunted for my size in an adorable pleated black miniskirt with little white rhinestones around the waist.

I heard a fake sigh of exasperation and turned to see Damon pulled a scrap of lace off of his head, which had apparently landed there when I'd started throwing stuff behind me. He held it up and I realized it was not a scrap of lace but a thong.

"Um, thank you, Elena, but I'm more of a boxers guy," he said, cocking an eyebrow.

"Really? I think they would look lovely on you. They would do wonders for those blue eyes of yours," I teased back.

His lip quirked up at one side and he folded his arms, tilting his head.

"Are you saying that you like my eyes?" He asked cockily.

I just rolled my eyes and finally found the skirt in my size. He helped me put the stuff I had thrown backwards back on their proper racks and shelves, and as we did, something caught my eye that was sitting on a shelf.

I reached up and took the black fedora from the shelf, a small smile pulling at the corners of my mouth.

I turned Damon towards me and put it on him, cocking it to the side slightly.

"It looks great. We have to get it," I said, stepping back.

He took it off and brooded at it, and then his cocky smile returned. He took the skirt from me and we walked up to the counter and bought my skirt and his hat. I had to admit, he looked good in it.

When we finally got back to the hotel, he insisted on hanging up all of my new clothes, refusing to let me help. When he'd finished, he flopped down on the bed with me.

"Thank you. For today," I said, looking over at him. Surprising both of us, I leaned over and pressed my lips to his cheek, lingered for a moment, and pulled away.

"You look exhausted," he comment after I pulled away. He seemed normal enough, but right after I had pulled away, there had been a flash of vulnerability in his clear blue eyes.

"We've been shopping for four hours," I laughed, stretching.

He slid his arm under my head and pulled me to him, and I rested my head against his chest.

"Rest for a couple hours," he said, and I decided to not argue for once.

* * *

I woke up rested, relaxed, and comfortable. I was on my side, and I felt Damon's chest pressing against my back. His arm was over my waist, clasping me to him.

I put my arm over his, lacing our fingers together. I had started to feel oddly comfortable around him.

"You awake?" His whisper startled me.

"Yes, but I didn't think you were," I said, slightly breathless.

"Well, I am. Obviously," he said sarcastically.

I just rolled my eyes at his sarcasm and got to my feet, running my fingers through my hair.

"I'm going to go get a shower, I'll be back in here in a few minutes," I told him, grabbing a change of clothes from the closet.

"Need some help?" He asked, batting his eyelashes innocently.

I just gave him a look that said "keep dreaming" and went into the bathroom.

When I came out, I ran right into him. My hair was still a little damp, but that didn't explain why Damon was suddenly frozen in place.

"Damon?" I said, my eyebrows lifting.

He started backing up, eyes going wide briefly. I stepped forward and rested my hand on his shoulder, meeting his eyes.

"What is wrong?" I asked persistently.

"Back. Up. _Now_." The words were a snarl.

I backed up, eyebrows lifted. I felt moisture against my thigh and slid my hand under my skirt to find where the wetness was coming from. I found a tiny cut on my upper thigh, and when I pulled my hand back up, blood stained my fingertips. That would explain Damon's reaction.

I heard a low growl and looked up to see Damon staring at my hand, the one covered in blood. He started walking forward, his face transforming. His lips parted hungrily, revealing lengthened fangs. I realized with a start he hadn't fed in two days.

Only I would be stupid enough to cut myself shaving and be rooming with a hungry vampire. I backed away, hitting my back on the bed. He followed, those blue eyes tortured.

That was what did it. The eyes. I saw self loathing reflected there, and my fear disappeared. I stood up, walked over to him, and held out my hand. The blood stained one. The warm red liquid was still wet, and I watched his fangs lengthen further.

I help my fingers up about an inch from his mouth, offering the blood there.

The cut on my leg had stopped bleeding, but the blood on my fingers was still wet.

He let out a small moan of wanting, but his eyes still said no. I had no idea why I was doing what I was doing, but there was a stupid part of me that trusted him. Besides, he was not making a wound or feeding from a wound.

"Go ahead," I said, walking forward.

He reached up and clasped his hands around my wrist, curling his fingers around it. He gently pulled me to him, his eye fixated on the blood. My pulse began racing as he leaned towards my fingers.

I gasped as he pressed his lips to my hand, and I felt his tongue slowly run over the blood. My knees suddenly felt weak, but I refused to fall. Our eyes met, my brown eyes locking with his that were masked with vampirism. The whites of his eyes were the color of the blood he was gently sucking from my skin.

When he released my hand, it was clean of blood, and my heart was beating out of my chest. With no warning, he leaned forward and covered my mouth with his. I gasped and went to push him off or smack him, but my body had other ideas. He opened my mouth with his, and I felt his tongue slide into my mouth. I gasped again, but this time it was nothing negative. My hands came to rest on his shoulders, and his arms were around my waist. Our mouths moved together, and our bodies were pressed together tightly.

Then I came to my senses.

I jerked and shoved him off of me, taking him by surprise. I backed up and sat on the bed, breathless.

I wasn't mad at him, not really. Just shocked and afraid.

Shocked because of the way my body had responded. Afraid because under the immense physical reaction, there had been something else. A strange surge of warmth close to my heart. I had felt something…real.

"Are you okay?" He asked, eyebrows lifting.

"Fine. I'm…fine," I said, still trying to catch my breath.

"C'mon, let's get out of here for awhile," he suggested.

"Great idea," I said, sliding my shoes on and following him out the door.

Once we were in the car, I started observing the most intricate features of him without even meaning to. Long, tapered fingers. Long black eyelashes framing unnatural blue eyes. A curved, seductive mouth. My pulse began racing again as I analyzed him.

_Beautiful_… I thought.

He turned to me, his cocky smile in full swing. He seemed pleased and amused.

"So you're finally admitting it, then?" The question surprised me until I realized I had said "beautiful" out loud. I ducked my head to hide my blush, which was spreading across my face.

He smirked and turned his eyes back to the road. I bit my lip and finally lifted my head.

"So, where are we going?" I asked.

"You'll see," he replied cryptically.

My heart rate picked up again and he reached for my hand. He laced our fingers together and rested them on the console, and I didn't pull away. I wondered if he could feel the same sensations I did. The feel of his pressure of his fingers pressing against mine, the gentleness in the way his palm pressed against mine. But more than that, I wondered if he could feel my pulse racing, my heart beating out of my chest.

* * *

_Feel this, can you feel this? My heart beating out of my chest? Feel this, can you feel this?"_

~Bethany Joy Galeotti


	4. I Need This

**Author's Note:**

**Hey everyone! Sorry it's taken so long for an update, I had to finish up Angel of Mercy (Damon/OC). This chapter is not very good, just kind of a filler, but I've had writer's block lately. Kind of boring, but the next chapter should be better, hopefully. Anyways, I'd like to thank all of my readers and drodgers89, who writes some seriously kick-ass Criminal Minds fan fictions. ****Anyways, bye for now!**

Damon parked at the base of a high cliff, and my eyebrows went up.

"What are you going to do, throw me off the edge?" I joked.

"Come with me and find out," he teased back, opening my door for me.

I smiled and we walked up a little path that led to the top, and I found that we were totally alone.

"It's beautiful up here," I said, looking over the edge down at the ocean.

"I know," he said, coming to stand beside me.

"How did you know about this place?" I asked, turning to him. I really shouldn't have, because now we were standing so close that my clothes brushed against his.

"I saw when we drove to the beach, saw how stunning the view must be, and knew you would love it," he said, his lips tilting up.

He reached down and laced our fingers together, and I found myself unable to pull away. The sun caught his face, and I began studying his eyes. They were the most incredible color of blue I had ever seen when the light hit them. The emotions that I had been suppressing came rushing to the surface, and I found myself leaning forward.

**Damon**

I was shocked when Elena leaned towards me, her gaze dropping briefly to my mouth before meeting my eyes again. I leaned forward and pressed my lips against hers, and I unlaced our fingers so I could wrap my arms around her waist.

She pressed the length of her body against me with a hunger that I hadn't sensed in her felt since the nightclub. Except now she was sober and completely aware of what she was doing. I felt an odd little tingle in my chest and tried to suppress it, but it just grew as Elena's lips pressed harder against mine. I opened her mouth with mine and slid my tongue in, and her arms wrapped tightly around my waist. I felt her fingers run through my hair, and I trailed my fingers up and down her spine.

I felt her tremble slightly and her legs go weak under her, and suddenly we were both going down. I was knelt down, and her back was against my knee, and her arms locked around my neck. In one smooth movement, she was on her back and my body was on top of hers.

She whispered my name against my lips, and I braced my hands on either side of her hips, keeping my weight off of her. I don't know why, but the way she said it sent desire running through me. Her fingers ran through my hair again and I heard her sigh softly.

I could feel the hurt Stefan had caused her, the pain it had caused her to have me compel her brother, the pain of losing her parents, all of the hurt slowly fading. I was her distraction.

She was the one that finally broke away, cheeks flushed and breathing heavily. She tried to scramble up, but my body was still on top of hers.

"Let me up," she said, her tone making the request an order.

I sighed and slid off of her, and propped myself on one elbow as she got to her feet. I looked up at her, my cocky smile tilting my lip up at one side.

"Do _not_ give me that look," she snarled, walking over to look over the edge.

"What look?" I asked, batting my eyelashes.

She turned and glared at me, and I rolled my eyes and got to my feet. I walked over and stood behind her, and was overwhelmed by her scent as the wind blew her long hair up into the air.

"Relax, okay?" I said, putting my hands on her shoulders. She jerked and stepped forward to get away from me.

And fell off the edge.

**Elena**

I screamed as my legs flailed through the air, and I groped for any solid thing in the chaotic world around me.

Suddenly strong hands gripped mine, and I held on for dear life. If Damon wasn't a vampire, I think I would have broken the bones in his hands I was holding on to them so tightly.

He gave one large pull and suddenly strong arms enfolded me, and I felt solid ground meet my feet. I gripped the front of his shirt with my fingers, shaking.

"It's okay," he told me, stroking my hair.

"I almost… I could have…" My voice trailed off as a chill rippled through me.

"But you didn't," he said firmly.

"Let's go," I suggested, pulling myself from his arms.

He nodded and looped his arm around my waist, making me stiffen slightly. But I didn't move his arm until we separated to get in the car. I was becoming more comfortable and at ease around him by the day. He took me to a very nice restaurant, and we ended up having a blast together after the tension from what had happened on the cliff had faded.

* * *

When we got home, I found the movie "10 Things I Hate About You" on the shelf and stuck it in the DVD player. I kicked off my shoes and hopped up onto the couch, and Damon sat down beside me.

"Isn't this a chick flick?" He asked, raising one eyebrow.

"Yep," I said simply and theN hit "play" when the previews were over. He rolled his eyes but didn't complain, and I - as usual - found myself fighting tears at my favorite part. It was the lead female character talking, and as I listened, I found myself listening to everything I felt for Damon Salvatore. With every line of the poem, I thought of him.

_I hate the way you talk to me…_

I saw me standing on the boardinghouse doorstep, looking for Stefan but finding his older brother instead.

"If you wanted me dead I would be dead," I remember telling him.

"Yes, you would," he'd agreed.

"But I'm not," I had countered. The conversation was still fresh in my mind, it hadn't been that long ago we'd had it.

"Yet," he'd said simply and curtly.

…_and the way you cut your hair…_

I saw Damon at the Founder's Party, all dressed up with Caroline on his arm. He'd looked amazing, but that had hardly occurred to me then. His looks had been the last thing on my mind.

…_I hate the way you drive my car…_

I remember waking up in Damon's car, and him stubbornly insisting I go with him to California.

…_I hate it when you stare…_

I saw the first time I had met Damon, when I'd spun around and he was standing there, staring at me. He'd cocked his head and just stared for a moment. And I also saw the time when he'd dropped Caroline off at cheerleading practice and met my eyes as he was leaving, and he'd stared at me in a way that had unsettled me.

…_I hate your big dumb combat boots…_

I saw me inviting him into my house, and his feet carefully crossing the threshold.

…_and the way you read my mind…_

I saw flashes of us standing in my kitchen, cleaning up and talking.

"I'd quit cheerleading," he'd said to me.

"Why do you say that?" I had asked him, though even in spite of my previous love for it, cheerleading was starting to get on my nerves.

"Oh, I saw you at practice. You looked miserable," he said as if reading my mind. I remember thinking he was very perceptive.

"You saw that?" I'd asked, wondering if it was really that obvious.

"Am I wrong?" He'd responded. Either I was that obvious or he was that perceptive.

…_I hate you so much it makes me sick…_

I saw the two of us standing in the parking lot on the night of Halloween, Vicki's dead body at our feet. I had shoved him, then tried to slap him, only to have him catch my hand and hold in a death grip that I would probably break my hand trying to free myself of. Then I had slapped him across the face when he hadn't expected it. I'd had so much venom in my voice that night as I ranted at him, I'm surprised it hadn't dripped onto the pavement.

…_it even makes me rhyme…_

I saw myself writing in my journal, about how much I hated Damon and how evil he was.

…_I hate the way you're always right…_

I saw him sitting on the couch with Caroline that night I'd had dinner with them, Bonnie, and Stefan.

"You don't seem like the cheerleading type, Elena," he'd said as Caroline continued to talk about how far behind I was in cheerleading practice.

He'd been right. As usual.

…_I hate it when you lie…_

I remembered him coming to the house looking for Stefan after he'd turned Vicki Donovan into a vampire.

"That girl's gonna thank me for what I did to her," he'd said as an argumentative tone had started to creep into my voice.

That was a lie. She had died because of what he'd done to her.

…_I hate it when you make me laugh…_

"Quit. Move on. Problem solved. Tada," he said about me quitting cheerleading.

I had laughed, which is something I don't do very often. And when I do, it seems to be when he's around. And I hate the fact he can do that. The fact he can make me laugh when no one else can.

…_even worse when you make me cry…_

I saw myself getting into my car after we'd fought in the parking lot on Halloween and start crying and beating my hands against the steering wheel. And then later that night, my eyes filling as I told him to compel Jeremy.

…_I hate it when you're not around and the fact that you didn't call…_

I _despised_ the fact I had started to miss him when he wasn't around, I hated myself for that.

…_but mostly I hate the way I don't hate you…_

Now tears were filling my eyes, and my breathing had gone irregular. I hated that I couldn't hate him anymore. Couldn't look up into those eyes and want him dead. Couldn't think of him dead without my heart twisting painfully and threatening to break.

…_not even close…_

No. Definitely not even close. I wasn't sure I ever could hate him. Not even if I tried.

…_not even a little bit…_

No. Not one tiny bit. And even as I tried to ignore it, to pretend it wasn't there, I knew that there was the tiniest part of me that trusted him more than anyone. More than Stefan, even. And I didn't want to admit it, but I wouldn't have trusted Stefan not to lose control when I'd been bleeding. I would not have trusted him enough to hold out my fingers and let him take the blood from them.

…_not even at all…_

I wiped away a tear that ran down my face, and immediately cursed myself for being so weak. I wanted off of this emotional rollercoaster.

I turned to Damon, only to find him studying me. As usual, his eyes were unreadable, but I didn't really care. I was just glad to see that he seemed to have chalked up my tears to the movie, and not the way the poem had described him.

I found myself all too aware of his body so close to mine. I knew that I should hate myself for letting him kiss me not only once but three times, but my minds simply said _What's a few stolen kisses every now and then?_

We were like flint and tender. Gasoline and a flamethrower. Fire and ice. He leaned forward, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, leaning into him. He kissed me, and as usual, fire and electricity and desire all ran through me at once. But this time…was different. Now that I had come to terms with the fact I was developing feelings for him, the wanting I'd been trying to suppress was now running free.

One of his hands tangled in my hair and his other arm went around my waist. He brought out parts of me that even I didn't understand. Parts that both intrigued and terrified me. His hand slid from my waist and down my leg, stopping behind my knee. With one hand behind my knee, and one tangled in my hair, he pulled me on top of him. My knees were now on either side of his waist, and I was pressed against him so tightly I thought it would constrict my breathing. My hands were on either side of his waist, and my rational thinking dissolved into thin air.

I don't know how long we stayed like that, kissing as passionately as we always did. _Always did…_ the term made it seem like I was making a habit of this. I could feel his desire, wild and untamed, emanating off of him. My mind was blurring and things were getting heated when my cell phone rang for the first time in days.

"Let it ring," Damon whispered against my lips, but I was already pulling my phone from my pocket.

"Hello?" I asked, trying to hide the fact I was breathless.

"Elena? Thank god you're alright. I'm on my way to come get you," said a voice that was all too familiar.

"'Come get me'? Stefan, I do not need a brooding babysitter," I said, sounding for too much like Damon for comfort. I know I was being mean, but I was still furious with Stefan.

"Brooding babysitter? You really have been around my brother too long," he growled, and I bristled. I had a strange protective instinct over Damon.

"Look, Stefan, I don't know why you called, but I am just fine," I spat, and Damon rubbed my arm reassuringly. I found our fingers interlacing, and it felt oddly natural. Damon wrapped his free hand around our joined ones, and I held the phone between my shoulder and my ear. I was seething, and I felt my nails sink slightly into his hands, almost drawing blood.

"Let me talk to him," he said as Stefan rambled on about my safety and how worried he had been.

I held out the phone after unlacing our fingers, and he put it to his ear.

"Stefan, do me a big favor," he said, anger and venom and sarcasm all colliding in his voice.

I didn't hear Stefan's end, but I did hear Damon tell him what the "big favor" was.

"Shut the fuck up, Broody," he said and hung up on him.

I could have screamed. I could have cried. Instead I broke out laughing. I just couldn't help it. I know it shouldn't have made me happy that Stefan had gotten put in his place, but I was still furious with him.

But a seductive stroke down my leg turned my attention back to Damon.

"Now, where were we?" He asked, leaning close.

"This has to stop," I said, trying to remain stiff and unaffected as he started kissing my neck.

"Why?" He whispered, trailing his fingers down my spine.

"Because I don't trust myself with you," I said, deciding to tell him the truth.

"What's not to trust?" He asked, running his hand down my side.

"Me…the things that I want…with you" My voice trailed off as my thoughts began to blur.

"You want to know what I think? I think that if you want something…" he began as his lips came to my ear, "…then you should have it."

I almost cried out in frustration at my lack of self control, and the tiny part of me that wanted to give in to Damon's words.

Then I realized what I was doing. It shocked, terrified, and angered me.

I was becoming Katherine.

I was becoming the conniving, two-faced, devious, awful Katherine Peirce. Yes, I was furious with Stefan, but I guess we hadn't even officially broken up yet. We had slept together right before I found the picture, yet it seemed like almost every time I was around Damon now, we ended up kissing. The realization was like splashing icy cold water on my face, and I pulled away from Damon.

And as badly as I wanted to deny it, there was a part of me that craved the risk, the danger that came with Damon. That wanted to take the darkness in him and embrace it, instead of pushing it away. I shouldn't have a wanting like that, but every time we touched, a passionate, eager part of me was awakened. A part of me I didn't know existed and probably hadn't existed until I met the cynical vampire Damon Salvatore.

But none of this changed the fact I refused to be Katherine.

I stood up and met his eyes, telling him something I had already told him once, that night in the parking lot when he'd tried to compel me.

"I am _not_ Katherine."

* * *

"_I need the darkness, the sweetness, the sadness, the weakness. I need this. I need a lullaby, a kiss goodnight, angel sweet love of my life. Oh, I need this."_

~Natalie Merchant


	5. Into My Bloodstream

I walked into the bedroom and plopped down on a bed, burying my face in the pillow. A familiar, intoxicating scent overwhelmed me, and I realized I was on Damon's bed. Great.

I looked up at the sound of the door opening, and saw him come in. Damon looked confused and worried, and he came to sit beside me, and took my hand without giving me time to protest.

"Elena, look at me," he said, cupping the side of my face with his free hand. I blinked and then slowly met his eyes.

"First of all, please do _not_ slap me again because I am _not_ compelling you." The words made me laugh, and he seemed to have been happy to at least cheer me up a little.

"You. Are. _Not_. Katherine." He said the words slowly, his eyes boring into mine.

I would have asked him if he really and truly believed that, but there was no question of it when I looked up into his eyes. Then I voiced what was truly bothering me.

"Stefan tends to disagree." The words were flat, because I was fighting so hard to keep my voice from breaking. But it was true, wasn't it? He had called, yet not once had he brought up Katherine.

"Screw Stefan," Damon retorted.

_I did! And you see how well that turned out, _I thought wryly. My raised eyebrows must have conveyed that thought, because he laughed softly.

"Le's forget about broody for a little while and go have some fun," he suggested. Letting the side of me that was fun and easygoing take over, I smiled and nodded.

* * *

When we reached the nightclub, I was almost wriggling with anticipation. We walked in, with me on Damon's arm, and several girls stared enviously at us. I smiled and bit my lip to keep from laughing, and looked up to see Damon flashing his cocky smile, and tightening his arm around me possessively when some guys looked me up and down.

They saw the protective way he moved his body just slightly in front of mine, and immediately backed off.

I leaned into his shoulder, wishing I could make these five minutes last forever.

"Would you like to dance?" He asked me, releasing me and holding out his hand.

There was a dare in his eyes, daring me to accept. Last time we'd danced at a nightclub (albeit a different one from where we were then), we had almost ended up… I braked my thoughts to a halt, not wanting to dwell on our almost sleeping together.

I reached out and took his hand, and our gaze never broke as we reached the center of the dance floor.

He pulled me to him as Ellie Goulding's "Starry Eyed" began playing, and our bodies pressed tightly together.

_Handle bars, and then I let go, let go for anyone…_

My hands rested on his hips as we began to move with the music, which was beautiful and entrancing.

_Take me in, and throw out my heart and get a new one…_

Again, I found myself studying his eyes. This had become quite a habit of mine, one that I couldn't seem to break.

_Next thing, we're touching. You look at it's like you hit me with lightening…_

I began absently finding words to fit his eyes. Cobalt. Crystalline. Azure. Cerulean. _Perfect._

_Oh, everybody's starry eyed…_

That was the last lyric I paid attention to, because suddenly I felt his mouth press roughly against mine. My hands tangled in his hair, and I found we were still swaying to the music. His hands rested on my hips, and I trailed my fingers down the back of his neck as the kiss deepened.

Suddenly I felt something vibrate against my leg, and realized my cell phone was ringing. Again.

I glared and pulled it out, hitting talk.

"Look, Stefan, I know you just hate it that I'm across the state from you with your older brother, but-"

"You're_ what?"_

My mouth fell open at the sound of Bonnie's shocked voice. Damon doubled over laughing, and I glared at him.

"Um, it's really not what it sounds like-"

"Not what it sounds like? He tried to kill me! And you're over there partying with him?" I winced at the accusatory tone in her voice.

"Bonnie, he's really not that-"

"Do _not_ say that he is 'not that bad,' he's a vampire psychopath! He tried to kill me, he turned Vicki, he killed half the town, and he'd been torturing Stefan for years!" Her voice got angrier as she continued.

"I'm sorry, I am. I haven't forgotten what he's done, but that isn't the only side of him. When he wants to be, he's really…" My voice trailed off and I pressed my lips together, remembering the vampire in question was right in front of me.

"Really _what_?" Bonnie demanded.

I met Damon's eyes and spoke my next words both to him and to Bonnie.

"There's good in him. He was human once and there's still a part of him that still is. He's done all of this for love, for love of the woman that was taken from him 145 years ago. How could you doubt that he has humanity in him, knowing that?" I asked, as mine and Damon's eyes met and held.

My words seemed to have shocked him, seemed to have ripped away the walls and left him standing there, scared and vulnerable.

"Look, Grams just came home and wants me to go over some witch stuff with her about the Bennet line, so we'll talk later, kay'?" She said, her tone begging me not to do anything with Damon I would regret.

"I'll talk to you later," I said and hung up, sliding my phone back in the pocket of my tight, low rise jeans.

Now it was just Damon and I, both left vulnerable by what I had said to Bonnie.

"It's not true," he said, looking down slightly so that his eyes were averted.

"Yes it is. It is and you know it," I said walking forward. He stepped back, and at some point we ended up outside.

"You feel. There's love in you," I said, walking forward. Right now my thoughts didn't revolve around the thick physical tension between us, but something much, much scarier. My thoughts were wrapped around this side of him, this vulnerable, questioning Damon.

"No. You know that, Elena," he countered, his entire body tensing.

I was scared to touch him. Because I was scared that if - while all of these emotions were stirring in me and with the tension between us - I touched him right now my control would snap like a twig.

Not meeting my eyes, he grabbed my wrists and drew me to him, holding my hands against his chest.

"You're wrong," I whispered, "there is good in you. A part of you that loves until it hurts. And that is why you are the way you are. Because of how much you love her." The words I said were honest, so honest that it hurt the both of us.

"I…" His voice trailed off and he looked away, and the lights of the city illuminating his elegant, handsome profile. If it was possible, he was only more beautiful when he was vulnerable like this.

When he turned back to me, I was suddenly overwhelmed. We were too close. Too much tension had been building for too long. He started leaning forward, a fear and vulnerability filling his eyes. And I knew for a fact if I kissed him - or more appropriately, let him kiss me - I would be choosing him. That was the question in his eyes, in the slow way his face drew closer to mine, in the careful way his arm reached out and encircled my waist.

If I let him, I would be his. I would belong to him. And, as strange as the words felt in my mind, he would belong to me. He would give up his Katherine. For me. He would do it for me.

And this was all in his eyes. This was an unspoken question, one that if I answered, it would change my life forever.

My heart raced. I could hear my pulse pounding in my ears. I could feel his breath on my face as he drew closer. He was giving me all the time I needed to pull away.

I couldn't believe it had only taken "five minutes" for this to go so far. I had come to California with him intending to have a little fun and then go home to sort things out. And now…

Now I was faced with a question that I never in my life thought I would have to answer. His lips were probably only an inch from mine, and I knew that in that moment I had to make my decision.

The only problem is that I never had the chance.

Because suddenly Damon's neck was grabbed from behind and he was being slammed into the wall. We were behind the club, and totally alone.

"Damon!" I cried. I ran forward to him, only to be knocked back. The man turned, and I saw his face.

He was a vampire.

"Please, please don't hurt him," I begged, meeting Damon's eyes. I could see blood running down the side of his face where it had been thrown into the wall, and I immediately knew that the entire left side of his face would be bloody and cut. I couldn't see much of the left side of his face, but I could see the blood running down the part of it I could see and down the wall.

I was ignored by the vampire, who again slammed Damon into the wall. I only caught a glimpse of his face, but it was enough to make me want to cry. It was covered in blood, and under the blood I'd seen a raw, gory wound. He refused to cry out, but he didn't have to. His eyes were so filled with pain that no noise in the world could have described it. They were glazed slightly, and his left one was severely bloodshot.

"Who are you?" I asked the vampire, my voice breaking.

"That's priceless. You don't even _know_," he spat out, baring lengthened canines. Taking out his anger at me on Damon, he threw him to the ground face-first, pinning him down by slamming his boot down on the back of his neck. And to make it worse, the already injured side of his face was the side slammed into the pavement. I knew that vampires could heal in the blink of an eye, but Damon's face was still a raw, bloody mess on one side.

"Please don't hurt him anymore. Please," I begged, risking walking forward a couple steps.

"You don't even know who I am," he hissed, giving Damon's ribs a very hard kick.

"Tell me," I said, trying to stall.

"He killed my girlfriend. All she ever wanted was to see Stefan. And he," he motioned to Damon, "probably doesn't even remember her name," he said, glaring down at the bloody, wounded vampire at his feet.

"L-Lexi?" I stuttered, realization hitting me.

"Yes," he said, pulling a long, tapered piece of wood from the inside of his jacket.

"No," I murmured, suddenly dizzy. No. Damon couldn't die. I just couldn't let it happen.

"Please no. I am _begging_ you. _Please_," I choked out, my eyes filling.

"She loved you so much. She that when it's real, you can't walk away," I said, my eyes falling on Damon. _When it's real, you can't walk away._ That's true. How the hell was I ever going to walk away from Damon? After seeing him vulnerable? After seeing him broken and bloody right in front of me?

"This…_thing_, is a monster!" The vampire yelled, slamming Damon yet again into the pavement.

"No he isn't! He's different now," I said, my eyes begging him to understand.

He stopped briefly, but I soon realized he was pulling out a syringe. I immediately recognized the cloudy liquid. Vervain.

He turned Damon over and emptied the syringe onto the wound covering the entire left side of his face. Damon screamed, and it was the must awful thing I had ever heard in my life. He tried to get up, only to be kicked back down to the ground.

The vampire, seemingly ruthless, pulled out another syringe full of vervain.

I then did the only thing I could do. I couldn't watch Damon suffer anymore. I knew I may die in the process of trying to save him, but I refused to sit around and watch him be killed.

As the vampire leaned over Damon to inject him, I leapt onto his back and grabbed the syringe. Seeing as he was a vampire, I knew I had very little time. Taking a deep breath, I shoved the needle into the back of the vampire's neck and pushed the plunger. He passed out, and I knew that he wouldn't wake up for a few days.

I ran to Damon's side and almost cried at the sight of him.

"Damon…" My voice trailed off when I caught sight of his face. Up close, the wound was that much worse. I pulled him into my lap, and his head lolled backwards limply. His eyes were open, but he was barely awake.

"Damon, what will help?" I asked, brushing his dark hair, which was matted slightly with blood, away from his face.

Then I realized what a stupid question that was. Blood. He needed my blood. Trying to swallow my fear, I gently eased Damon to the ground. Not caring about the pavement biting into my knees, I straddled him and put my wrist to his mouth.

"Bite," I said, shaking his shoulder.

He tried limply to shake his head, but I forced my wrist closer to his mouth.

He met my eyes, and extended his fangs. His teeth brushed my skin-

"Elena!"

I looked over my shoulder to see none other than Stefan running towards us. He looked down at Damon, who hadn't yet bitten me but had my wrist taken in his mouth, and then at me, on the ground on top of his older brother, trying to get him to take my blood.

"Stefan, I know you probably have a lot of questions, but now is not the time. Your brother as been beaten, with vervain put on the wound, and for some reason, he's not healing," I said in a rush, putting my free hand on Damon's shoulder protectively.

"Look at his chest, Elena," he said, motioning to him.

I glanced down at Damon's chest and saw why he wasn't healing. Oh god. He'd been staked. He was dying.

"Damon, no!" I cried out, my entire body starting to shake.

"Elena, I don't know if there's anything we can do for him," Stefan said gravely.

"There has to be," I cried, pulling the stake out.

He was too weak to bite, so I closed my eyes and prayed I wouldn't bleed to death. I took the long, tapered piece of wood and drug it slowly across my wrist, crying out slightly as the wound opened.

I turned to Stefan, only to see that he'd disappeared. Oh well. Too bad. He'd get over it.

I lowered my wrist to his mouth, and gasped aloud as he began slowly sucking my blood. I had been expecting pain. To be uncomfortable. To at least feel…strange. Instead, the experience had a strange sensuality about it.

Our eyes locked, and I felt him start pulling harder. Yet it didn't hurt. Not at all. His face began healing, and he pulled himself into a sitting position without breaking his hold on my wrist. In one swift movement, he pulled us to our feet, mouth still attached to my wrist. He had one hand clasping my wrist to his mouth, and his free arm was wrapped tightly around my waist.

"He's here. Stefan," I managed to say hoarsely, though my breathing was so rapid that I found it hard to speak.

He nodded, and I realized he must have still been partially conscious when he'd shown up.

When he finally released me, I tumbled forward against his chest. He caught my easily, and I was overtaken by a wave of dizziness.

Without further hesitation, he sunk his teeth deep into his wrist and blood started streaming from two identical puncture wounds. He turned me so that my back rested against his chest and then he placed his bleeding wrist in front of my mouth, gently brushing it against my lips.

I hesitantly started sucking the blood there, and my body became slack with desire.

**Damon**

Her body leaned back into mine as she began to suck my blood, and I wound my free arm around her waist. When a human willingly takes vampire blood, it sparks a fiercely physical reaction in both human and vampire. I tilted my head back and moaned softly, and Elena's hands came up to carefully clasp my wrist closer to her mouth. I leaned back and felt my back press against the wall of the nightclub.

I released her waist and began gently stroking her side with the tips of my fingers, smiling slightly as I felt her shiver. I ran my fingers across her stomach and down her hip and thigh, feeling her shudder.

She finally stopped sucking on the wounds, and gently ran her tongue across them before letting go of my wrist. I heard and felt her exhale deeply, and she leaned back against me. She turned so that she was facing me and I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her into me.

She buried her face in my shoulder, arms wrapping around my waist. She was visibly shaken by what had just happened. I was shaken from the blood exchange, the toll it had taken on me, and more than anything, the way she had taken the walls I had so carefully built and ripped them down with no effort at all. Our eyes met and held, and I wound my hand through her dark hair.

I was still shell shocked that she had trusted me so much. So completely and unwaveringly. And now here she was, resting contentedly against me, completely relaxed. I gently tilted her head up by placing two fingers under her chin, and she closed her eyes and leaned in. I parted my lips and leaned into her, holding her to me very, very tightly.

Our lips touched and-

"Elena! What the hell are you doing?"

I would recognize that infuriated voice anywhere. I thought to myself the two words I had said to him when I'd first come back to Mystic Falls.

_Hello, Brother._

* * *

"_I think I might've inhaled you. I can feel you behind my eyes. You've gotten into my bloodstream. I can feel you floating in me."_

~Stateless

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**So, I just updated my profile, and I'll give you guys a list of what's new there:**

**Two trailers for Shattered(Damon/Alice)**

**A preview of the fic I'll be starting soon, The Objection(Damon/Elena)**

**A trailer for this story**

**That's about it, but I hope you guys enjoy! As always, thanks to all of my readers and to drodgers89, the undisputed queen of Criminal Minds fan fictions.**


	6. Your Love

**Author's Note:**

**Sorry it took so long for an update! I've been writing two other fics, and I had writer's block for this fic. This chapter is rated M for sexual content, and I apologize ahead of time if it is too graphic. Normally I try to keep my fics from being a complete and total smut fest, so again, sorry if this chapter is too much. I don't know how many more chapters this story will be, probably not many because I had originally only intended for this to be a short fic. **

**Anyways, a big thank you to everyone that has stuck around this far and will continue to stick around!**

_An excerpt from this chapter:_

Here's the thing about being insanely attracted to someone and holding back for a very long time: once you give in, you want to give over and _over_ again.

_End of excerpt_

**Intrigued? Well that excerpt is from Damon's perspective, so needless to say things are about to get interesting:-)**

* * *

**Elena**

I sprung away from Damon, who let our lips pull apart but would not let go of my waist. It felt very awkward, with Stefan standing there and Damon and I still pretty much tangled in an embrace.

"What. The. _Hell_." Stefan said the words slowly and carefully, his face slowly transforming.

In one swift movement, Damon had stepped forward and used his arm to sweep me behind him. By now, the protective side of him shouldn't have surprised me, but I was still getting used to him being so protective.

"Come here, Elena," Stefan beckoned, holding out his hand.

"Back off," Damon spat, his fingers lacing with mine possessively.

"Don't tell me to-"

"Stefan, shut up!" I yelled, all of the rage I had been feeling towards him boiling over.

He looked at me, startled. Damon looked amused with my outburst, and then smirked triumphantly at his infuriated younger brother.

"Yeah Stefan, listen to the woman for once," Damon added.

"Damon, I did not ask for your commentary. Stefan, I did not ask for your brooding ass to show up. So please, both of you, _quit fighting_." I saw Stefan get offended at the part about his brooding ass showing up, but at the moment I could really care less. Damon looked not one bit offended, and I was glad that at least one of the brothers wasn't quite so oversensitive.

"Can't we go somewhere and talk about this like rational people?" I asked, slowly calming down.

"Sounds like a plan," Damon said, wrapping his arm around my waist and smirking cockily at Stefan. I shrugged his arm off and walked between the two of them as we walked back to the cars. We decided that Damon and I would go back to the hotel in our Ferrari, and Stefan would follow in his rental car. Which, boringly enough, was a Camry.

**Damon**

Once we got back to the hotel, Elena told me that her and Stefan needed a minute, so I hung out in the living room while they went into the bedroom. She closed the door and I heard her sit down on her bed, while I assumed Stefan remained standing. I could hear their conversation, what with my vampire hearing and all.

"_Elena, what were you doing back there?"_ I heard Stefan ask. Almost me probably, had we not gotten interrupted. She'd been on the verge of surrendering before Broody had to go and show up.

"_Damon was attacked. I fed him blood," _she responded.

"_What about the fact you were kissing him? How long has that been going on?"_

"_That's none of your business, Stefan. I'm pretty sure I made it clear that we're over."_

"_Let's think about this for a second. You left me because you thought I wanted you because you looked like Katherine. And now you are with the man who's been trying to release her from her tomb for the past century and a half. Do you really think that he wants you for a reason besides the fact you resemble the woman he's been chasing for over a hundred years?"_

I heard complete silence and was overwhelmed with a deep sinking feeling.

**Elena**

I felt my eyes begin to fill as I realized he was right. I was nothing but a Katherine replacement to Damon.

Damon, who idiotically enough, I had started to be stupid enough to actually care about. Of course I was just a space filler to him.

"Get out," I whispered to Stefan, crawling up to my pillows and burying my face in them. I heard him leave through the window, and suddenly felt a warm, familiar hand caressing my face.

"Go. _Away_," I spat.

"You are _not_ Katherine," he whispered in my ear.

Suddenly I was hyperaware of two things: Damon's closeness and the fact I was crazily attracted to him. We had been kissing ever since we'd come here, and I couldn't deny that my body responded to his.

"I am to you," I said, blinking back tears.

"No you are not, Elena. You are human, and you are kind and loving and sweet, and I…" he trailed off.

"You what? Wish I was more like Katherine?" I asked, turning to face him and finding him laying next to me.

"I…I love…you. I love you," he finally managed hoarsely.

My entire world shook and trembled as I processed those three words. Damon loved me. Oh good lord and heaven above, Damon Salvatore just said he loved me. Not Katherine. Not Katherine's look alike. _Me_. Elena Gilbert.

I leaned over and kissed him, feeling my body warm in response. His arm wrapped around my waist, and I slid my hand under his shirt, feeling the bare skin of his chest. He pulled himself on top of me, sliding his tongue in my mouth, pressing it against mine. I pulled him tightly against me, moving my hand from his chest to his back. His hand gently slid under my skirt, stroking my thigh. I arched my head back as he began kissing down my neck, nipping slightly but not biting. When his mouth moved back to mine, he kissed me hungrily and passionately, and I felt heat spread all the way through my body.

I began to unbutton his shirt and he slid my tank top over my head, and started kissing me again. I reached down and unbuckled his belt, sliding it free of his jeans and throwing it to the side. He reached up and unsnapped my bra, sliding it off my arms and tossing it aside. My heart raced as he ran his hands deftly down the length of my body, and I closed my eyes, breath catching in my throat. Fingers shaking, I reached down and unbuttoned his jeans, fumbling with the zipper. My hands shook, knowing I was in dangerous territory, to say the least.

"Relax," he whispered roughly I my ear, covering my hand with his.

_Easier said than done,_ I thought to myself as I finally managed to catch the zipper between my trembling fingers. I slid the zipper down and pushed his jeans off, unable to still my shaking hands. He slid my underwear easily off of me, and I felt my eyelids flutter with anticipation. Taking a deep breath, I began to pull down his black boxers, feeling my fingertips touch the bare skin of his legs. Feeling my body relax, I let my hands explore the length of his body as he kissed me slowly. Bringing my hand back up to slide behind his neck to clasp him to me, I wrapped my legs around his waist and gasped as I felt him insert himself in me. I cried out as he pressed roughly against me, and I wrapped my legs tighter around him.

"Damon I love you," I gasped, running my nails down his spine. He kissed me again fiercely before beginning to kiss down my neck, and I pulled myself even tighter against him.

Suddenly his hands, which had been cupping either side of my face, tightened around me, and his lips, which had been kissing my neck, parted slightly as his breathing became labored. He closed his eyes and buried his face in my neck, sighing softly. I was slightly confused until I heard him cry out slightly and quietly, and felt my pulse accelerate as I realized what was happening to Damon. About a minute later, I felt him relax against me, face still resting against my neck.

"That was…" he started, shaking his head.

"Beautiful," I said, brushing his hair from his face.

He smiled slightly. "I was going to say 'painful.' There was nothing beautiful about me, I was a mess."

"No, you're wrong. You were so beautiful," I whispered, remembering the way his eyes had closed and how he'd cried out.

"You understand that in all these years, how few women have caused me to do that?" he laughed, pulling his face from my neck.

"No, I figured it came pretty naturally to you," I admitted, my face heating slightly given the topic of our conversation.

"It came naturally for them, maybe. But no, it's difficult to make my body lose control like that," he said, kissing me again.

The rest of the night dissolved into one blissful, passionate blur.

* * *

I woke up with my back pressed into his chest, and his arm was laying over my waist. He was still asleep, and a small smile curved my lips. I reached up and brushed my fingers against the two small puncture wounds on my neck, which were already healing. My mind whirred with memories of last night: Damon telling me he loved me, me telling him the same thing, watching Damon come, feeling his fangs bury themselves in my neck, laying next to him and kissing him softly hours later, falling asleep with my arms wrapped around him.

"Morning," he whispered in my ear.

"Morning," I replied, leaning back into him.

"I want you," I said, having made my decision once and for all.

"My, my, you just can't get enough of me," he said, rolling over on top of me.

"That isn't what I meant," I laughed, though I was sorely tempted to let him have his way.

"Then what did you mean?" he asked, though he made it rather hard for me to get my thoughts straight when he began stroking my side, from my shoulder to my hip.

"I meant that I chose _you_," I said, running my hand through his hair.

"I was hoping we'd slept together for a reason," he said, grinning at me. But under his sarcasm, I could see he was genuinely thrilled that I'd chosen him over Stefan.

"It's not just the fact I'm attracted to you, Damon. That's not the only reason I slept with you. It's also because I meant I meant it when I said I loved you," I told him, meeting his eyes.

He smiled slightly, and I saw through his cocky smile to the genuine affection in the crystal blue eyes I'd come to love.

"You make me crazy," he whispered, kissing me.

"Damon, I really hate to break it to you, but I would like to get dressed," I said, though part of me wanted to stay right where I was.

"But why?" he asked, rolling his eyes. I just laughed and slid out from under him, walking into the closet and pulling out some clean clothes. I walked into the bathroom and climbed into the shower, leaving my clothes on the sink. I closed my eyes and began to wet my hair so I could wash it.

"Miss me?"

I jumped nearly out of my skin when I heard Damon voice right at my ear. He was standing right behind me, and I turned around to face him. He smirked at me and started shampooing my hair, and I closed my eyes and sighed in contentment as his fingers worked the shampoo through my hair. I lifted my eyebrows as he began pouring some of the body wash into his hands after rinsing my hair. He began slowly rubbing the soap into my skin, and I shivered even in the hot shower water as his palms ran down my back.

"This is…" I fumbled for a word for the strange but wonderful sensations going through me.

"Kinky?" he asked.

"No! I was going to say…" I fumbled for a better word and came up blank.

**Damon**

Here's the thing about being insanely attracted to someone and holding back for a very long time: once you give in, you want to give over and _over_ again.

I came to that realization as Elena lay next to me, gently pressing her lips to my shoulder. After she'd turned off the water, I'd swept her up, carried her out of the bathroom, laid her down, and I'll give you three guesses what happened after that.

"We should go home," she said, resting head on my shoulder.

"We could just stay here," I said sarcastically, earning a playful slap on the arm.

"Seriously, Damon, we should go home," she sighed.

"Already? But we haven't truly made use of this suite yet. I think I saw some lingerie in the closet…" I started, and Elena kicked me in a rather unkind place.

"Hey, that hurt. Well I don't know, if you pull yourself about six inches to the left, that may actually feel rather good-"

"Get up and get dressed," she laughed, climbing off the bed and putting on the clothes she'd left in the bathroom. I sighed and got dressed, packing our stuff at vampire speed.

"You ready?" I asked, looking around for her.

Suddenly she jumped onto my back, and I grabbed her legs and wrapped them around my waist, and secured her arms around my neck, I picked up our bags, put on the fedora she'd wanted me to get, and we checked out of the hotel. We'd gotten some strange looks from the clerks seeing as I was carrying Elena around on my back, but neither of us cared. I ordered our plane tickets, and we stayed at the beach doing typical couple-like things such as kissing and messing around in the water until we had to leave for the airport.

After we'd taken off, Elena leaned her head against my shoulder, lacing her fingers through mine.

"It's hard to believe that it only took a few days for all of this to happen. I mean, when we came up here I didn't trust you, and now I'd follow you anywhere," she said, smiling a little.

"I bet you would. I mean, who wouldn't follow me anywhere? I'm just so absolutely gorgeous and sexy and-"

She silenced me with a kiss, which I returned fiercely.

"Easy there. We _are_ in front of people," she laughed as we pulled away.

I sighed. "We'll be home soon enough."

"Yes we will," she said and buried her face in my shoulder.

**Elena**

"Elena, we're home," Damon whispered in my ear to wake me. We'd switched planes several times, and we were finally home. And Damon, flashy as ever, had rented us a car just to drive from the airport to the boardinghouse, where his GTO was.

"Finally," I sighed, happy to be back.

"C'mon princess, you're kingdom awaits," he said sarcastically as we walked off the plane.

"Very funny," I said, shaking my head.

Back at the boardinghouse, Stefan was sitting on the couch, apparently waiting for us.

"I figured I'd see you soon," he said, looking up from his book.

"Hi Stefan," I said, feeling my pulse pick up at the sight of him. _Stop that! You chose Damon,_ I scolded myself mentally.

"Elena. Damon," he greeted us with a brisk nod.

"Hello, brother," Damon drawled lazily, shrugging off his jacket.

"Well, I'm going to go help Damon unpack," I said awkwardly, shifting my weight from foot to foot.

"When you're done, could we talk?" he asked, meeting my eyes meaningfully.

"Of course," I mumbled, running upstairs after Damon.

With vampire speed, Damon unpacked, so I just sat on his black bedspread and watched him turn into a blur as things went back in the closet, the dresser, and on the bookshelves.

"See how easy that was?" he said, sitting down beside me.

"I bet it was. You are a vampire, after all. Some things just come so easily to you," I said.

"Some things most certainly do," he said, misinterpreting my words and leaning over to kiss me. I couldn't help but to kiss him back, tangling my hand in his hair and wrapping the other around his waist. We were like gasoline and a flamethrower: once one of us caught the other, we spun rapidly out of control.

He pushed me down, coming down on top of me. Even though in the back of my mind I knew I needed to talk to Stefan, my hand still slipped under his shirt to run my nails down his spine.

"Ah…Damon?" I finally managed as his warm lips trailed down my neck.

"Hm?" he asked, his fingers stroking my thigh and hip.

"I need to talk to Stefan," I said breathily.

"Can't it wait?" he asked seductively, hand sliding under my shirt and almost tempting me into saying yes.

"As much as I would love to stay right here, with you, I can't. I need to end this with Stefan once and for all," I said, relieved when he slid off of me.

"And Damon?" I called over my shoulder as I walked out of the room.

"Yeah?" he asked, walking over to his bookshelf and pulling an old leather-bound volume off.

"I want you to know that it isn't purely physical for me. I know that it seems like every time we're alone I'm, well, jumping you, but I do love _you_ Damon. Not just your body," I explained, realizing I must appear very desperate with the way I'd been acting when we were alone.

"Elena," he started, moving in front of me in a blur and taking my face in his hands, "I know that. But neither of us can help the fact we're attracted to each other the way we are. And it's not like it's just a time filler, we're not sleeping together because we're bored, it's because that we are…" his words became halting, and he bit down in his lip. Expressing emotion was difficult for him, I knew that from when he'd first told me he loved me.

"In love. We are in love, as sappy as that sounds," he finally managed, "and as long as we both know and understand that this is not purely physical, then there is no harm in enjoying each other's…company," he said with his trademark cocky smile.

"You're right. Thank you for understanding, Damon," I said, giving him a tight hug and going downstairs to talk to Stefan.

But as I walked, the reality of it all sat in. I loved Damon. I loved devious, vampire, cocky, slightly murderous, intensely passionate, Damon Salvatore.

"_Because your love, your love, your love, is my drug. Your love, your love, your love. I said your love, your love, your love, is my drug. Your love, your love, your love. I don't care what people say, the rush is worth the price I pay. I get so high when you're with me, but crash and crave you when you leave."_

~Kesha

**Author's Note:**

**Again, I deeply apologize if that got too graphic. Also, sorry if it was too sappy and un-Damon like. But he's spent most of this fic being his cocky self, so I decided to expose his vulnerable side. **

**Too sappy? Too graphic? Please tell me! Normally I don't push people to review, but I considered scrapping this entire chapter and starting over, so would someone please tell me if that was a good idea? It probably was, so if you agree you won't hurt my feelings, you're just being honest. And I apologize for my insane babbling, but I was up at seven o' clock in the morning with my dachshund puppy and didn't get back to sleep til' eight, so sorry if I sound a bit crazy.**

**As always, thank you to my wonderful wonderful readers for the nonstop encouragement, and of course to drodgers89 who keeps convincing me to keep writing even when I'm convinced I'm awful at it.**


	7. Love Until It Hurts

**Elena**

I walked downstairs to find Stefan still sitting on the couch, and I told him I was ready to talk.

"Elena, I saw the way you were looking at Damon. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into…" he started, shaking his head.

"I've already gotten into it, Stefan," I said boldly, folding my arms.

"What do you mean?"

"I chose him. I'm not sorry for that, but I am sorry if I hurt you. I care about you, but in a different way than I care about him. I love him, Stefan," I said.

He scoffed. "You _love_ him? And when did you figure that out?" he asked, eyes narrowing to angry, jealous slits. Knowing I had nothing to lose, I said the truth boldly and clearly.

"When we slept together."

"You _what_?" he asked, rising to his feet in a blur.

"Yeah, it happened. I think I made it pretty clear we were over," I said, knowing if Stefan tried anything stupid that Damon would be down here in an instant.

"How could the two of you sleep together?" he asked, shaking his head.

"The procedure is rather simple, brother. Lips press together, clothes are removed, I think you know the rest…"

I turned around to see Damon walking over to stand beside me, and Stefan's eyes darkened when Damon laced his fingers through mine.

"Look Stefan, I am still exhausted from my flight. Is there any way we can talk about all of this tomorrow?" I asked, leaning into Damon's shoulder.

"Yeah. Fine," he said, storming upstairs.

"Don't worry about him," Damon said, leading me upstairs.

"I'm not, he's just so frustrating," I said, sprawling out on the bed.

"Tell me about it. I've been dealing with it for over a century," he said, unbuttoning his shirt and making himself comfortable. A familiar surge of longing went through me at the sight of him, but I suppressed it the best I could. I didn't want my wanting him so much to make Damon think I was some kind of addict.

I felt my pulse pick up as he pressed his lips to my jaw line, trailing kisses up the side of my face. He resting his arm over my stomach, pulling me to him.

"Do you want to?" he whispered huskily in my ear.

In response, I turned to him and kissed him fiercely, pulling myself on top of him. This time, unlike others, things went very slow. For probably an hour, we kissed (okay, probably more like made out, but you know what I mean). Then he slowly unsnapped my jeans and slid them off, then pulled my tank top over my head. Unlike the last time, my fingers didn't shake as I unbuttoned, unsnapped and slid his jeans off. I guess I was growing confident. He took things very, very slow and by the time we were both finally undressed and he was kissing me again, my body was literally aching for him. Since he found it difficult to use words to express his feelings, he found an entirely different way to. The slow, gentle way he made love to me told me everything I ever needed to know. His caresses, while passionate, were unbelievably gentle.

Later, much later, as I lay in his arms falling asleep, I knew if I ever lost him I would lose myself. He was a part of me now.

* * *

The next day at school, Bonnie came right up to me, eyes narrowed to slits that reminded me of Stefan's.

"I take it you heard," I said, assuming she'd talked to Stefan and he'd told her about me and Damon being together.

"Heard about what? You and Damon _sleeping together_?" she almost yelled, causing Caroline, who was standing a few feet away, to turn to us with wide eyes.

"Yeah, Bonnie, we did. And I need you to understand that I care about him. And he's not who we thought he was," I explained, begging her with my eyes to understand.

"You talk about him like you love him," she said, looking disgusted at the prospect.

"I do," I said, my eyes filling at the thought of losing my best friend.

"Don't cry, Elena. You're like a sister to me. And I love you, even if I do seriously question your taste in men," she said. I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tightly, relief flooding through me.

"Easy there on the mushy stuff," she said, smiling.

"Thank you, Bonnie," I said before going to class.

All through class, I thought about what had happened right before I'd left for school.

"_Morning Stefan," I'd said awkwardly when I'd come downstairs._

"_We need to talk," he said, obviously not in the mood for small talk._

"_Really what's there to talk about? I'm pretty sure last night covered it," I said, no longer feeling angry, just tired and wary._

"_No, this is something you need to know, something I didn't mention last night because it hadn't happened yet," he said much to my confusion._

"_Would you please stop talking in riddles?" I asked as I finished my cereal._

"_It's about something I overheard this morning," he said, sighing._

"_Can we talk when I get home? I have to leave for school," I said, grabbing my jacket._

"_Yeah, just please hear me out when we do talk," he begged, fixing me the green eyes that I used to love more than anything._

"_Alright," I said, calling goodbye to Damon on my way out the door._

I snapped back to reality, sighing deeply. What could Stefan possibly want to talk to me about?

**Stefan**

I sat on the couch with a book in my hand, patiently waiting for Elena to get home. I had fabricated such a believable lie that even she would believe it even in spite of the fact it was about her beloved Damon. And conveniently, I had even compelled someone Elena trusted very much to back me up.

_You are a brilliant man,_ I praised myself mentally with a small smile.

I'd have Elena back by the end of the day.

**Elena**

"Hey Stefan. You ready to talk?" I asked when I walked in and saw him stretched out on the couch with a book, as usual. I'd called Damon on the way home and told him that I had to talk to Stefan, and he said that he was going to swing by Mystic Grill and grab a drink so Stefan and I could have our privacy.

"Yeah. Elena, this is going to hurt," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers. My eyes widened and I started backing up, my entire body tensing to run, even though I knew it wouldn't do any good because he was a vampire."I didn't mean physically," he said tartly, eyes narrowing.

"Oh. Sorry. Then what's going to hurt?" I asked, swallowing back my humiliation. Stefan may be jealous and angry, but it had been stupid to think he would hurt me.

"I overheard Damon on the phone this morning while you were still asleep. He was talking to Bonnie…" his voice trailed off and he shifted his weight uncomfortably.

"And?" I prompted.

"He was talking to her about the tomb. Wanted to meet up with her at the Grill tonight to talk to her about it, see if she knew any way to open it."

"What?" I said, my eyes filling as I realized Damon was probably talking to Bonnie right now about getting Katherine back. I had been used, played.

"I'm so sorry, Elena. He said he wanted her back, I heard it myself," he said sympathetically.

"Oh my god," I whispered, my heart breaking when I realized that the love he'd expressed for me had been completely fabricated.

Stefan reached out to hold me, but I shrugged him off and ran upstairs, going through the first open door I found and throwing myself on the bed, sobbing uncontrollably. I had been right. I was nothing but a Katherine look alike to Damon. I was his plaything. And Bonnie knew it, she had been in on it. I sobbed for what felt like hours but it probably only a few minutes.

"Sweetheart, are you okay?" asked a sweet, loving voice that I knew all too well. But I knew better. He was fronting. I was nothing to him.

"Go to hell, Damon," I said, getting up off the bed and brushing right by him.

"Elena what's wrong?" he asked, following me down the hallway.

"You. You're the same bastard I thought you were, it just took me a little longer than it should've to figure it out," I spat, then cringed when he took my wrists in his hands and pushed me against the wall. It didn't seem forceful or violent, more like he was just trying to get me to be still, but I knew that he could end my life my simply taking my face in his hands and twisting. I opened my mouth to scream, and he suddenly looked deeply and profoundly hurt.

"You actually think I would hurt you?" he asked, dropping my wrists and stepping back.

"Why not? You'll have Katherine back soon enough, you don't need me anymore," I said, knowing he was a wonderful actor.

"What are you talking about? I would _never_ hurt you, Elena. You know that," he said, shaking his head.

"Why would you not hurt me? Because you don't want to be bored until you get Katherine back?" I asked, my eyes filling. I blinked away my tears, refusing to appear weak.

"I still have no idea what you're talking about. I thought you would know I was giving up on opening that tomb," he said.

"Really? Then why were you talking to Bonnie this morning about opening it? Why did you go meet her at the Grill just now?" I fired, my jaw clenching.

"I never left your side this morning. I was still asleep when you got up to go to school, I was just waking up when you said bye as you were going out the door. I would never do that to you," he said, looking crushed.

"Yeah right, Damon," I spat, brushing by him.

"How could you doubt me? After last night?" he called after me, his voice thick with emotion.

"Because Stefan overheard you on the phone, talking to Bonnie," I said, folding my arms. Lifting one eyebrow, Damon pulled out his cell phone, brought up the list of incoming and outgoing calls, and showed me that Bonnie was on neither list, which both went back two weeks.

"For one, you could have been using a different phone. Two, you could have deleted the call of your phone. I don't even know why I'm still standing here. We're done, Damon," I said, going downstairs. I got in my car and went home, ignoring my Aunt Jenna, who asked me what was wrong.

I ran upstairs and was going to throw myself on the bed, but the whole reason I was heartbroken was sitting on the edge of it.

"Go away," I said tiredly.

"No," he said, walking over to me.

"Stefan lied to you, Elena," he said, taking my face in his hands.

"No he didn't. I called Bonnie on my way over here, she confirmed everything," I said, meeting his eyes.

"Compulsion. She doesn't have vervain anywhere on her or in her," he reminded me.

"But…" I fumbled, my heart breaking all over again as I realized Stefan had lied to me.

"God I'm sorry, I am so sorry," I cried, collapsing into his arms.

"Shh…it's okay…" He murmured words of comfort into my ear, and I was overwhelmed with the desire to show him how much I really did love him.

I grabbed his shoulders and pushed him backwards until we both tumbled onto the bed. I shed his clothing immediately, and he removed mine just as swiftly. I reciprocated what he had done for me last night, I expressed my emotions in a way that words could never compare to. Where last night he'd made love to me, now I was making love to him.

"I'm sorry," I whispered again as he held me hours later.

"It's okay," he whispered back, stroking my hair.

Suddenly I started giggling, finding something rather amusing in what had just happened.

"What?" he asked, rolling into his side to face me.

"Well…it's um, girl stuff," I explained, blushing.

"What 'girl stuff?'" he asked persuasively.

"Think about all great chick flicks. Two people fall in love, they argue, and…" I trailed off, lifting my eyebrows.

"Have make up sex?" he asked bluntly.

"Well you don't have to be crude about it," I mumbled.

"No, crude would be me saying-"

"No thank you. I don't want to hear that, thank you very much," I said, getting up and getting dressed.

"Hey, wait a second," he said, getting to his feet.

I turned around to face him, and saw him fumbling for something in his pocket. Apparently he'd gotten dressed at vampire speed.

"And before you freak out, this is not an engagement ring," he said, and I was glad he'd told me ahead of time, because he was holding a black velvet ring box, and I can't say I wouldn't have jumped to conclusions.

"What is it?" I asked, and then gasped quietly when he opened the box. Inside was a diamond and lapis lazuli ring, set on a platinum band. It sparkled, the light catching the tiny flecks of gold in the lapis.

"It's…a promise ring," he said, taking a deep breath and suddenly looking very scared, very vulnerable.

"It's amazing, Damon. When did you get it?" I asked, trying to figure out when he could've gotten it.

"Well, I kind of lied to you. I wasn't at the Grill earlier. I went and picked this out," he explained, blue eyes betraying his vulnerability where the rest of his features did not.

"I love it," I said, handing it back to him and then holding my left hand out.

He smiled and slid the ring on my ring finger, and I leaned up to kiss him. It didn't even occur to me that we'd only been together for a couple days and that I already had a promise ring, it actually didn't bother me at all.

"Elena, I need you to listen to me," he said, looking deep into my eyes.

"Okay," I nodded, knowing he wasn't compelling me, just trying to get me to listen.

"Stefan will try to break us apart at all costs, so I need you to promise me that you won't let him come between us," he said, absently fingering my ring.

"I promise," I said, knowing that nothing could ever come between us now.

"So I was thinking about something," I began, "why is it that the girl is the only one who wears a ring to show commitment?"

"Well…good question. Is that a hint?" he asked, arching one eyebrow.

"The only problem is you have your lapis ring already. If you start wearing any more rings you're going to look like you have a jewelry fetish," I said, absently taking his hand and running my finger over the surface of the ring that protected him from sunlight.

"How about I move this to my ring finger?" he suggested.

"But if something was to ever happen - and I really pray it doesn't - and we were to separate, then it's not like you could just stop wearing your promise ring. Without that ring you can't go out in daylight," I reminded him.

"I would stop wearing it if something was to ever happen and we would, god forbid, separate," he said simply, shrugging his shoulders under his leather jacket.

"But then you couldn't go out in daylight," I said, knowing he would go crazy if he wasn't a daywalker.

"Yes I could," he said hoarsely.

"What do you mean, Damon? You can't go out in daylight without your ring, you'd die," I said, my eyebrows lifting.

"Exactly," he said.

He then disappeared out the window, leaving nothing but my billowing curtains in his place.

* * *

"_I have found a paradox. If you love until it hurts, then there can be no more hurt. Only more love."_

~Mother Teresa

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Hi again! I wasn't expecting to update so soon, but I got inspired to write more and thought I would make Stefan try to break them up. And of course, I couldn't let him succeed. I know it's rather soon for a promise ring, and Damon was probably way too sappy there at the end, but I like expressing his vulnerabilities, and most of those are derived from Elena, so I apologize if he was a little too OOC. And thank you for all of the kind reviews on the last chapter, the encouragement always helps. For once I didn't use a song quote at the end, but one I heard on a really great show called Criminal Minds. It's from episode 18, season 5, "The Fight." **

**I know that this story doesn't have much of a storyline, but I wanted it to be mostly pure, straight Delena without a lot of complications. I decided that I will probably end it at ten chapters, one reason is I can only write so much pure Delena, and the second I have another Delena fic in progress called "The Objection." Which, I will soon be updating, hopefully.**

**As always, thank you so much to all of my awesome readers: you guys are wonderful!**


	8. Bury Me Alive

**Author's Note:**

**So this chapter is a little bit of a filer, but I hope it doesn't bore you too much. Thank you to everyone who has given me feedback on this story, it always helps to know someone is reading it and enjoying it. I wanted to use a quote from the books in this chapter, and it is from Shadow Souls, the most recent book in the series. The quote from the books is "with her blood in his veins and his pleasure interrupted, he was like an untamed panther in her arms." It's only slightly changed, because the "hers" are replaced with "mys" in light of the fact it's from Elena's P.O.V.**

**Also, to anyone who has read the Sookie Stackhouse novels, see if you can find the hidden reference to "Dead to the World," book four in the series. Hint: the reference is in something Damon says. I was bored and was curious to see if anyone would get it:-)**

* * *

**Damon**

When Stefan walked into his bedroom, I was sitting in the armchair, waiting patiently.

"So you thought you could break us?" I asked, my voice dripping with malice.

"Damon," he breathed, obviously shocked to see me.

"She belongs to me," he said, seeming completely confident in that.

"You're wrong. If she belonged to you, then why is she wearing the promise ring _I_ bought her?" I asked, watching as fury covered my brother's features.

"You're lying," he accused, shaking his head.

"No he's not," Elena said, stepping out of the shadows beside me. I had texted her, asking her to meet me here. She placed her left hand on my shoulder, exposing the glittering ring there.

"She's mine now," I said, standing up and taking Elena's hand in my own.

"No. No she isn't. I will have her back," he said and then disappeared at vampire speed.

"What's wrong with him? I mean, I know that he's upset, but I've never seen him this way," she said, shaking her head.

"I know, sweetheart," I said, and then winced at my casual use of the pet name. The whole "sweetheart" thing is _so_ not my style.

"It's like he doesn't even realize what he's doing," she said, a slight smile on her lips.

"What are you smiling about?" I asked.

"You. You just called me sweetheart," she said, her smile widening.

I sighed, feeling…embarrassed. Well there's definitely an uncommon one for me. Damon Salvatore, embarrassed? Lord, I was losing my touch. But then again, two weeks ago, I would have scoffed at anyone who said I would be calling anyone "sweetheart."

"C'mon, let's go to the Grill," I suggested, hoping to change the subject.

"That would be great," Elena said, more than happy to get in my GTO and go out to dinner with me. We had a blast, and even though I didn't eat much, I made an effort for her sake. After we were done, I realized that the middle of the room was conveniently empty, and that the stereo system was playing Leona Lewis's "Run." The song was extremely sad, but there were a few lyrics that reminded me of Elena. Not the ones about saying goodbyes, of course, but some of the romantic ones.

_You've been the only thing that's right, in all I've done._

_And I can barely look at you, but every single time I do, I know we'll make it anywhere away from here._

We danced to the slow music, and I held her close to me, my heart breaking knowing I would one day lose her. All humans were lost. But even after she was aging, and people looked at us strange because I was eternally twenty-three, I wouldn't leave her. Yet my heart still broke, and I met her eyes, wondering if she was thinking the same thing. But when I looked into her big brown eyes, all I saw was her unconditional, fathomless love for me. What would I do when I couldn't look into those eyes again?

_To think I may not see those eyes, makes it so hard not to cry._

_And as we say our goodbyes, I nearly do._

I swallowed back the lump in my throat, putting my hand on the back of Elena's neck and pulling her to me for a long, passionate kiss. She took my face in her hands, holding me to her. My free arm wrapped around her waist. I had compelled the bartender to go in the back and leave us alone right before we'd started dancing, and the room was deserted, so Elena and I were completely alone. As the reality of it hit me, the reality of the fact she was human and I was a vampire and I would lose her, I suddenly stiffened, pulling away from her.

"Damon what's wrong?" she asked, more than slightly breathless.

"Nothing," I lied, leaning down to kiss her again.

"You're lying. What's wrong?" she asked worriedly, taking my face in her hands.

"It's honestly nothing. I'm over thinking stuff," I said, hoping she would just nod and let it go.

I had no such luck.

"What stuff?" she insisted, stroking the side of my face.

"Would you please stop that?" I laughed.

"Stop what?" she asked, genuinely confused.

I covered the hand that was stroking the side of my face with my own.

"That. You know how to make me talk," I said.

"I wasn't trying to interrogate you. I just want you to answer me," she said.

"Fine. You're not going to like it, but fine. I don't want to lose you," I admitted.

"You're not. I love you, Damon. I'm not going anywhere," she said, missing my point.

"Yes you are. You're going to grow old and then…" I trailed off, unable to say the word "die" in relation to Elena.

"Die?" she said, making me flinch.

"Yes. And I don't know what to do because I can't lose you, Elena. But I also can't sentence you to this life, can't face you with that choice," I said.

She studied my eyes, and then pulled me to her. She wrapped her arms tightly around me, and I felt her hand begin to gently stroke my hair.

"It's going to be okay. Somehow," she whispered, taking my hand. We began dancing again, this time with both of us aware of what the other was thinking.

**Elena**

Damon and I danced the night away, not speaking, only swaying with one another. I was still dwelling on what he had said when he pulled up at my house to drop me off. He walked me in, and sat down on the edge of my bed as I kicked off my shoes.

"I had a wonderful time tonight," I said, sitting down beside him.

"I'm glad," he said, leaning over to kiss me. I had intended on kissing him goodnight and sending him on his way, but there was a warm tingle spreading through me, and Damon pulled me onto his lap, not breaking the kiss. I wrapped my legs around his waist, opening my mouth to allow him entrance. His tongue slid into my mouth, and he ran his hand down my back. In one smooth motion, he had me pinned underneath him, the length of our bodies pressed together. I tilted my head back and closed my eyes as he began trailed kisses down my neck, teeth gently probing at my throat but not biting. I felt my pulse began to race, and when he kissed me again, I could feel his extended fangs brush against my lower lip.

I arched my neck back in invitation, and saw hunger overwhelm his features. But I didn't feel not one trace of fear as the whites of his eyes turned red and his face darkened. I gasped softly as his teeth pierced my flesh, and I tangled my hands in his hair. No matter how gentle he could be, I knew deep down he would always be untamed and untamable. But this didn't bother me, because I knew he would never do anything in this world to hurt me.

I let myself think about what he'd said at the Grill as he fed, and found myself afraid of the inevitable. Afraid of growing old and dying and losing him. I absently wondered what it was about Damon that made me love him more than I ever loved Stefan. There was a part of me that almost feared Stefan now.

As if I had summoned him with my thoughts, I suddenly heard noise at the window. Damon growled deep in his throat and looked up, his mouth still covered in my blood. The curtains on the window were pulled back, so I could make out Stefan's features through the glass. I glanced down at Damon, who looked every inch a predatory vampire. His face was fully transformed, and my blood stained his mouth. With my blood in his veins and his pleasure interrupted, he was like an untamed panther in my arms.

He got to his feet and approached the window, throwing it open. But when he looked out, Stefan was no where to be found.

"He was there, I saw him," I said, shaking my head.

"I know. So did I," he said, closing the window.

He stretched out beside me, licking the blood from his lips as his face relaxed back into its normal state.

"Don't worry, my lover. I'll keep you safe," he said, pulling my head down to rest on his chest.

"I know," I whispered, falling asleep.

**Stefan**

My jaw clenched an unclenched as I recalled what I had seen over and over again. Damon, his mouth on Elena's neck, sucking her blood. It disgusted me. I had to end my brother once and for all.

I called him and asked him to meet me at the boardinghouse, and he said he would in the morning, that Elena was asleep and he didn't want to bother her. Puke. I used to be the same way, but at least I had really loved her. And I still did. But Damon, he was faking. He could never truly love Elena the way she deserved, if he loved her at all.

The next morning, I was waiting in the living room, a vervain dart hidden in the folds of my jacket. He would be much easier to get rid of when he was unconscious.

"What do you want, Stefan?"

I turned around to see that he had silently appeared in the doorway, glaring at me suspiciously.

"To talk about Elena. I know that you're using her," I said, walking over to him slowly.

"I'm not. I love her and you know that. It probably shocks you to know that I even can love, but I can," he said, not moving from his position.

"You can't. I know that better than anyone, there is nothing human left in you," I said, walking until I was standing in front of him.

"Stefan, did you have me come here so we could talk about Elena or so you could imitate Dr. Phil?" he asked, cocking one eyebrow.

"Neither. You came here so I could kill you," I said as I slid the dart in his hip. His blue eyes were full of shock as he crumpled to the ground, falling unconscious. And thanks to the fact I had turned my humanity off as soon as Elena had told me her and Damon had slept together, I felt no remorse looking down at my pale, passed out brother. He needed to be gotten rid of, and I had every intention of doing so.

"Goodbye, Damon," I said, dragging him down to the basement and locking him up, wrapping vervain laced chains around his wrists and ankles to insure that he would stay unconscious. I would weaken him before I staked him just for the sake of getting revenge on him taking Elena from me. I was feeling rather good, high on the human blood I had taken just hours ago mixed with the ease of being humanity free.

**Elena**

"Damon?" I mumbled, waking up alone. I reached over and found a white piece of paper with his messy handwriting scrawled on it.

_Elena,_

_Stefan wanted me to meet him at the boardinghouse to talk __about you, and I'm going to try to settle things once and for __all. And no (as tempting as it is), I don't mean I'm going to kill __him. I just need to talk to him and try to make him understand __that you belong to me now. If he doesn't want to get that __through his head, then I promise I will find a way to make sure __he leaves us alone. I should be back within an hour, and it's __7:30 right now, so I'll probably be back shortly after you wake __up. _

_ ~Damon_

I glanced at the clock, my pulse beginning to race. The clock read 9:45 a.m.

* * *

I showed up at the boardinghouse with my pulse racing and fear pounding through me. Damon should have been back over an hour ago, but there was no sign of him. He wasn't answering his phone, and his car was still parked out front. I ran inside and grabbed Stefan's arm and yanked it hard, making him turn and face me.

"_Where_ is Damon?" I hissed, shaking with fury.

"Taken care of," he replied evenly, shrugging his shoulders.

"What do you mean, _taken care of_?" I asked, praying he didn't mean what I thought he did. He couldn't. No. Please no.

"I mean he's not coming back, Elena," he said.

My eyes wide and filling, I ran down to the basement and saw that it was empty of Damon.

"_Where is he_?" I screamed.

"He's a pile of ashes in the backyard," he said simply, handing me a lapis ring.

Damon's promise ring. Damon's protection. The ring that Damon said he would rather take off and walk out into the sunlight without rather than to lose me. Damon's life, reduced to a small, cold piece of jewelry in the palm of my hand.

I decked Stefan, sending blood spurting through his nose, which seemed to be broken. I didn't care. I didn't even think. I couldn't see for the tears filling my eyes. Damon's _couldn't_ be gone. Yet I was holding his ring in the palm of my hand, and he wasn't anywhere in the house. I checked the entire boardinghouse, every nook and cranny. He was nowhere.

I ran out to my car, banged my palms into the steering wheel, and started sobbing uncontrollably. My Damon was gone. Forever. My entire body shook, and I pulled out of the driveway still sobbing. I would avenge him. I would kill Stefan if I had to. But right now I was far too emotional to even think straight. Too broken.

I drove home, ran upstairs, and started sobbing all over again. I clutched on to my promise ring for dear life, holding it in my palm with his.

**Damon**

The world felt bleary and unsteady, and I could tell right off the bat that my ring was missing. My entire body ached, like one large bruise. Where was I? I saw stone walls when I finally pries my eyes open, and the floors were definitely stone. Moving was not an option, so I tried to look around. When I recognized where I was, I suddenly felt weak and lightheaded and felt the world drain to black again.

I was in Katherine's tomb.

**Elena**

"Bonnie, I need you to do me a favor," I said after she picked up her phone. I had managed to silence my crying fit long enough to call her, and chills went through me at the thought that I was right.

"Anything," she said.

"If I give you a piece of jewelry that belongs - possibly belonged - to someone, can you tell me if that person is still alive?" I asked, my heart racing.

"Absolutely. Who does this piece of jewelry belong to?"

"Damon," I choked, feeling a lump build in my throat all over again.

"You want me to cast a spell to find _Damon Salvatore_?" she asked in disbelief. She didn't sound angry or like she had changed her mind about doing it, she just sounded like she was dreading it.

"Yes. Please Bonnie, you may be the only one that can help him. Stefan lured him into a trap and I am holding his ring in my hand. Honestly I don't doubt the obvious, but I have to know for sure," I pleaded, getting choked up yet again.

"Hey, easy. Don't cry. I can come over and I'll take the ring and see if I can sense anything. Even if he's dead, I'll be able to sense that too," she explained.

"Thank you so much Bonnie," I said.

"I'll be over soon," she said and hung up.

Hal an hour later, she had her fingers curled around the ring, her eyes closed and her face blank. I bit my nails, shaking. When her eyes finally flew open, my pulse picked up until I saw a look of deep sadness on her features. No, more like pity. She wasn't sad that Damon is dead.

"He's dead, isn't he?" I choked.

"Worse, Elena," she said, handing me his ring.

"What do you mean?" I asked, my brow furrowing. How could anything be worse than him dying?

"I mean apparently Stefan knows a witch. That's how he found you in California and how…" her voice trailed off and she looked down.

"How _what_?" I demanded.

She met my eyes, looking deadly serious and grave.

"Damon is locked in the tomb under Fell's Church. He's been buried alive, Elena."

* * *

"_I watched you let yourself die, and now it's too late to save you this time. You bury me alive, and everybody's gotta breathe somehow."_

~We Are The Fallen

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Sorry for the abrupt ending there, and it may be a few days before I update this fic again in light of me needing to finish chapter four of another Damon/Elena fiction called The Objection. **

**As always, thank you guys so much for the constant reviews and enthusiasm!**


	9. Forget How To Breathe

**Damon**

As the blood running through my veins ran dry, I felt the torture begin. It felt like fire had replaced my blood, like my head was splitting open. It could have been two days or two years, but by the end of the night (It could have been day, but it's a tad difficult to tell time when you've been buried alive and left to turn into a rotting corpse) I was screaming myself hoarse, begging for the help that never came.

I moaned and whimpered after I was too hoarse to scream any longer, and then soon found myself screaming again. Because of the vervain mixed with the lack of blood, I couldn't move, could only cry out helplessly as I came to terms with the fact I was trapped. Trapped like Katherine. I almost laughed at the irony of the fact that Katherine could be ten feet away from me and I wouldn't know it. And honestly, it didn't even upset me that I was here and so was she.

My mind revolved around the same brown hair, the same brown eyes, the same smile, but a completely different person. I thought not of Katherine, but of Elena. Of the beautiful, human, loving Elena Gilbert. I took solace in knowing that she had been mine, and that I would eventually fall unconscious, but knowing she had belonged to me and I to her. It was sappy to the point of belonging in a Nicholas Sparks novel, but I could care less. All I could think of was my Elena.

I finally passed out god only knows how much later, and found myself in a very strange dream. In the dream, I heard chanting in what I think was Gaelic, if I remembered correctly. The voice was familiar, but in my dream I was in too much pain to place it.

"Didn't you _hear_ him? Please hurry Bonnie!"

Now _that_ voice I recognized. It belonged to Elena, my beautiful Elena. She sounded scared and panicked, and I wished there was something I could do to soothe her. And as soon as I formed a coherent thought, I was lost in pain again. It was ten times as worse as it had been earlier, and I heard someone screaming. Awful, bloodcurdling screams. It wasn't until minutes, maybe hours later that I realized it was my screams I was hearing.

I heard sobbing outside the tomb, and knew it was Elena. I also heard her cry out in pain when she slammed her hand into the other side of the wall. The Gaelic chanting quickened, and I heard Elena's breath catch in her throat. Again, my coherency evaporated as I started moaning softly, feeling my body go to hell. I suddenly became dizzy, and I knew that when I passed out this time, there would be no waking up.

I closed my eyes and succumbed to the release of unawareness.

* * *

**Bonnie**

I felt like I was going to pass out as I tried to open the tomb Damon was locked in, and felt my pounding head throb worse when Elena started sobbing, collapsing against the wall. Damon's screams had been haunting us for the past several hours, getting more and more pained. I thought he deserved it, but of course I kept my mouth shut for Elena's sake.

"It's not working," I gasped as the spell failed for about the seventh time.

"It has to!" she cried, eyes widening as Damon fell silent.

I knew why she looked panicked. He had finally succumbed to the terrifying unconscious state the he would never wake from without human blood. I couldn't let him hurt an innocent human, no matter how much Elena loved him.

And I had to act fast if I was going to ensure that.

"Elena, you're not going to like this, but I have to talk to my grams and get her advice. I was stupid to think I could do this alone."

"I understand. I think I'll stay here, though," she said, pulling her knees up to her chest. I knew that it would devastate her that she would never get Damon back, but I couldn't let a killer run free in my town. I had to protect my family and my friends, at all costs.

* * *

Once I arrived at grams' house, I immediately walked in, not bothering to knock. She had told me I was always welcomed here, and to never worry about knocking.

"What is it, baby?" she asked me as soon as I came in feeling worried and flustered.

"It's about that vampire I told you about. Damon Salvatore," I explained, sitting down on the couch with her.

"Yes, I bet it is," she muttered, handing me a glass of herbal tea.

"What do you mean?" I asked, sipping the tea.

"Stefan Salvatore came to me, said Damon was talking about terrorizing our town again, asked me to lock him up in the tomb. I took him and locked him up, and I reinforced the seals around the tomb. Ain't nobody getting in that tomb. Damon Salvatore isn't coming back," she said much to my shock.

"You did it?" I breathed, my respect and admiration for my grandmother doubling at her words.

"Yes I did. He's never going to bother us again, baby," she said, drawing me into a tight hug. I felt my fear and anxiety drain away as she reassured me, and I thanked her for keeping us safe.

"I always will," she said, stroking my hair.

* * *

**Elena**

Finally getting to my feet, I decided that I had to take action. It's not that I didn't trust Bonnie, but I needed to figure out a way to get Stefan to tell me who had done the spell to lock Damon in the tomb. I could find the witch, and then beg her to reverse her. Hell, I wasn't past posing a physical threat to the woman if I thought I could take her.

I went back home and started raiding my closet as a plan formed in my mind, and every time I balked at my idea, I thought of Damon starving in that tomb. I slid a skimpy black dress Caroline had bought me for my sixteenth birthday over my head and slid my feet into the matching heels, which she had also bought. I had never worn it before now except for the day after the party so she wouldn't get insulted, but I had worn a jacket over the top and leggings under the skirt. Now there was nothing under the dress but a pair of black lacy underwear. No bra required. It was short, backless, and cut to the navel.

I went into the bathroom and began applying smoky eye shadow and blood red lipstick, covering the red with a clear gloss that made my lips look like they were just begging to be kissed. I shivered, knowing how much I looked like her. Katherine. I teased my hair until it was feathered back, and then went back to the boardinghouse. It was time for my acting debut.

As I pulled up, I cast one last glance in the rearview mirror of my car, taking in my reflection. My skin crawled and my stomach felt sick, but if it worked, it would be worth it. I looked down at my outfit and thought to myself what I would say to Damon if he could hear me.

_It's all for you, my love. All for you._

* * *

**Stefan**

A knock at the boardinghouse door caused me to spring up from the couch. I walked over and pulled it open, shocked to find Elena standing there. She was dressed much less conservatively than she usually was, in a very low cut black dress with black high heels. She looked…tasty.

"Stefan," she breathed, her voice raspy and seductive.

"Come in," I told her, stepping aside.

"Thank you," she said, walking in with a small, mischievous smile.

I followed her as she walked slowly into the living room, her hips swaying slightly.

"What can I do for you, Elena?" I asked her as she tossed her long hair over her shoulder.

"Elena? I am insulted, Stefan," she spat, wheeling around to face me. I listed my eyebrows, confused.

"How dare you mistake me for that little wretch?" she said, seething.

"Katherine," I breathed, my eyes widening.

"Who else?" she asked, her demeanor going back to seductive.

"I'm sorry, Damon told me you were locked under the church, that you'd-"

"Damon was wrong," she cut me off, "the guard just couldn't stand to see me locked up. He let me go," she shrugged, her delicate shoulder rising and falling. I recognized the familiar cold, predatory glint in her eyes and the way the slight curl of her lips said that she was up to no good. She was back.

I couldn't believe, looking at her, that I had ever thought I was over her. That I had honestly thought I had loved Elena for so long, Elena and not Katherine.

"Why are you here?" I asked, walking closer.

"I want my boys back," she said, faking a pout.

"Boys. You want both of us again," I sighed, trying not to show my disappointment. I wanted her to myself this time, but if she wanted something then there was no stopping her.

"Yes. Of course. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy having you entertain me, but I still want to play with Damon too," she said, her eyes daring me to argue.

"Of course," I mumbled, feeling my resolve weaken and break as she walked over and wrapped her arms around my neck and leaned her body into mine. I leaned forward to kiss her, but she shoved me off.

"Where is Damon? I want to let him know I'm back, and then I'll decide who I want to give my attention to first," she said, putting her hands on her hips. I nodded, wanting nothing more than to please her.

"Of course. But, um, Damon…isn't here," I mumbled and winced as her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Then where is he?" she asked, folding her arms.

"Well, there a bit of a misunderstanding and I, um…" I trailed off, fiddling with my lapis ring.

"You _what_?" she growled, seething.

"I locked _him_ under the old church," I confessed.

"Get him back," she demanded.

"I will, I promise," I said, walking over to try to kiss her again.

Again, she shoved me off.

"No. You may not lay one finger on me until you retrieve Damon," she said, sounding as spoiled as ever. I smiled, yet again entranced.

"I will have him by morning," I said, nodding.

"You better have him by the end of the night," she said haughtily and walked out the door, slamming it behind her.

I glanced at the clock, which read 4:32 p.m.. I would have to work fast.

* * *

**Elena**

When I finally got home, I was shaking and my skin felt like it was filthy from my mission to impersonate Katherine. I had been so convincing that Stefan had done everything short of beg for my attention. I had flawlessly acted as the woman I hated more than anyone else.

_It's for Damon, it's for Damon,_ I repeated in my head over and over again as I stood in the shower, scrubbing myself down and wishing I could wash away the awful memory of becoming Katherine for half an hour. But even as nausea coiled in my stomach, I reminded myself of one thing.

By the end of the night, I would have Damon back.

* * *

**Bonnie**

I screamed and kicked as Stefan clamped his hand over my mouth and drug me out of the Grill. He had invited me to the Grill to just talk and hang out as friends, and had apparently spiked my coffee. The alcohol had numbed my powers, and I couldn't do as much as light a candle, let alone break free of Stefan's inhumanly strong grip.

"I'm not going to hurt you as long as you obey me," he said, throwing me into his car.

"What do you want?" I choked, my throat closing up with fear.

"Release Damon. I have my reasons. Don't ask questions or I will find a way to hurt your grandmother. Don't put it past me, Bonnie," he said, sending chills down my spine. In this awful, ruthless state, I had no doubt in my mind that he would find a way to hurt grams, maybe even kill her.

"I'll do whatever you say, just please don't hurt my grams," I begged as he forced a little more spiked coffee down my throat.

"Don't worry, you'll be sober by the time we get to the tomb so you can release him, but I can't risk you pulling any of your little witch tricks until we get there," he explained to me.

I nodded, a lump forming in my throat. But even as fear swallowed me, I refused to cry. To scream. To fight. Because if I did, my grams would die, and I would never forgive myself.

When we arrived, I was sober just as he said I would be. He grabbed my arm and pulled me down to the tomb, handling me stiffly and roughly.

"Do it," he said, handing me grams' spell book.

I nodded and began the spell, my hands shaking and my heart racing. I couldn't mess this up, or my grams would die. I was just now developing my powers as a witch, and now I had to complete such a hard spell that even grams had probably been exhausted after completing.

I began chanting in Gaelic, feeling the foreign words flow effortlessly from my lips. The blood of the powerful Bennet witches flowed through my veins, and I felt like I could feel my grams, and Emily, and all of my elders lending their power to me. I thought of grams, so beautiful with her pretty face and short curly hair, and Emily, so amazing in her power that she made vampires able to walk in the sun. And I saw myself, thrumming with the power of centuries of Bennet witches and the power to release and trap the undead.

When I opened my eyes, the door was creaking open, and I felt like I was flying. I knew that deep down I was exhausted, but I was still high on magic. High on the warm rush of power flowing through me.

_Bonnie…_

I jumped, hearing the choked, hoarse voice in my mind. Chills went through me as I recognized it. It was a broken, dead sounding voice, but I would know it anywhere. It had haunted my nightmares, and even elicited fear in me when I was fully awake.

Damon.

Vampires, if they tried very hard, could send messages to witches. As weak as he was, the only reason the message reached me was because I was standing probably not ten feet from him, but a wall separated us.

_What do you want?_ I replied telepathically.

_Help me._

_With what? I broke the seals. Stefan is coming to get you,_ I replied, feeling uneasy.

_I need you to get me out and lock him in. He is dangerous, and he won't stop until he has Elena back,_ he choked, and I could tell the little resolve of strength he had built up was fading fast.

_Actually, I believe I'll lock you both in,_ I replied tartly, bristling at the thought of me releasing him and him going back to his cold, sarcastic ways.

_Don't. Please don't. Elena needs me,_ he pleaded.

_You are a danger to her, she's better off without you_, I replied evenly.

_Please don't do this, Bonnie,_ he continued to beg pathetically. And the small part of me that was still sweet and compassionate wanted to give in, to reunite him with Elena and lock Stefan away for good. But I wasn't that girl anymore.

_No,_ I replied, and then put a mental block up against any further messages.

* * *

**Elena**

Damon should've been out by now. I was waiting above the tomb, standing in the old cemetery. I was in my Katherine clothes, but that was only for appearance purposes. Damon would know it was me the minute I looked at him. As soon as he was out, I could drop this façade for good.

Sighing in worry, I quietly went down to the tomb, where I found Bonnie performing the spell to permanently seal the tomb.

"Bonnie stop!" I cried, running over.

She looked at me, startled. Apparently she hadn't expected me to know she was doing this.

"How could you? You know how much Damon means to me," I cried, her betrayal paining me more than she could ever know.

"Elena, I-"

"I don't want explanations, Bonnie. Just _get Damon out_," I accentuated carefully.

"But he-"

"_Do it_," I ordered furiously.

She clenched her jaw and began re-opening the tomb, and I sighed deeply in relief. He was going to be okay. The minute the door was opened, I took of into the tomb.

"Hurry, Elena! I can't hold it much longer!" she cried as I searched for Damon. I searched the entire tomb and was about to scream with frustration when I felt fingers wrap around my ankle. I almost screamed, and then looked down and saw him. Damon. It nearly killed me to see him so pale, so white, so corpse like.

"Elena," he choked.

"Oh god, Damon…" I whispered, kneeling beside him and putting my wrist to his mouth. I felt his fangs sink in and he began sucking deeply, hungrily. He managed to release me just as I was getting lightheaded, and I pulled his arm around my neck so he could lean his weight on me as I pulled him out of the tomb. The spell broke just as he and I reached the other side, and the door slammed shut behind us.

"Thank you, Bonnie," I said to her.

He just nodded and left Damon and I alone together, and I embraced him tightly, feeling his almost emaciated frame under my hands.

"Damon, oh my god, you're so, well…" I trailed off.

"Skin and bones?" he choked, clutching me tightly.

"It's going to be okay, I promise," I whispered, helping him out of the tomb.

* * *

**Damon**

We got back to the boardinghouse and Elena insisted that I soak in some hot water, and I cringed at the prospect of laying on anything hard and porcelain.

"Don't worry, I'll help you out of your clothes," she said as she helped me into the bathroom.

"Hmm, is someone eager to undress me?" I asked, but my hoarse voice kind of killed the effect of the innuendo.

She just laughed and helped me out of my clothes, and I gasped at the sight of me in the mirror. I could see my ribs through my skin, and my skin was white and pale. There were dark circles under my eyes, and my hair was messy and tangled. I looked like hell.

"You doing okay?" Elena asked as she helped me down into the water.

"Yep," I lied, wincing as my back came in contact with the hard porcelain. My spine was sore and pained, and she seemed to wince with me, as if she could feel my pain. I was finally down in the water, and Elena gently traced patterns on my hand as I closed my eyes and focused on not crying out in pain like a child.

"It's going to be okay," she whispered as she did when we'd left the tomb. I opened my mouth to speak but she silenced me by placing a gentle kiss on my lips. She gently kissed my stomach, my chest, my shoulder, my neck, and finally reached my lips again. _I am a lucky man_, I thought as I encircled her waist with my arms. She kissed back gently, as if she was afraid I was would break if she kissed me too hard. And, eager to prove to her that I was already healing rapidly, I pulled her to me so hard that I pulled her into the bathtub with me. She laughed as her clothes became soaked, and then leaned back down to me again.

"You're crazy," she teased lightly, caressing my face.

"But you love me anyway," I said cockily.

"Always will," she replied.

As soon as we were out, I was in so much pain from being in one position for too long that I simply pulled on jeans and a pair of black boxers, still soaking wet.

"Damon, don't you want to dry off?" Elena asked, toweling herself down and looking doubtfully down at her drenched clothes.

"Na," I said and helped her out of everything but her bra and underwear.

"Let's get some sleep," she suggested.

"That's the best offer I've heard all day," I sighed, flopping down on the bed and opening my arms. She smiled from the bathroom doorway and took off at a dead run, and I caught her in my arms as she flung herself at me. I laughed, holding her tightly as we fell asleep.

* * *

"_You make me smile like the sun. Fall out of bed, sing like a bird, dizzy in my head, spin like a record. Crazy on a Sunday night. You make me dance like a fool, forget how to breathe, shine like gold, buzz like a bee. Just the thought of you drives me wild. Oh, you make me smile."_

~Uncle Kracker

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**One more chapter til' it's done! I have had so much fun with this fic, and I am so happy everyone else who has reviewed has also been enjoying it too. As usual, thank you so much to my readers for the wonderful reviews and to drodgers89 for just being along for the ride, the crazy, messed up ride. I just got my muse back for The Objection, so it will be updated soon, probably before I had the last chapter of this. Again, thanks to all of my amazing readers!**


	10. Insatiable

****

Author's Note:

**So here it is, the end of Five Minutes. This chapter is rated M for some mildly repetitive sexual content, but I decided it was time for Elena to take some initiative where her and Damon's physical relationship is concerned. But don't worry, it doesn't totally lack dialogue. Also, I may not have the time to update much after this, because school starts back the 23rd**** and I am going to be insanely busy. I will try to update The Objection before I get too busy, but I warn you it will probably be a very short update.**

**And with that said, thank you to all of my readers, who have followed this story to the very end, and to drodgers89, who gave me the idea for the Dead to the World scene in this chapter (you know exactly what I'm talking about, Danielle.)**

* * *

**Damon**

"Morning," Elena mumbled sleepily. She was curled up next to me, snuggling up to me like I was her damned teddy bear. God, I was getting so whipped. Just like that Edward guy from Twilight.

"Morning," I replied, kissing her good morning.

"So what's on the agenda for today?" she asked, propping herself up on her elbows.

I sighed. "Not much. Hell, not anything to be honest."

"Well it's Saturday, so we have the entire day to do absolutely nothing. Sounds good to not be busy for a change," she said, resting her head back on my chest, her hair brushing against my neck.

"I second that," I agreed, wrapping my arm around her waist.

"I can't believe I actually slept until two o' clock in the afternoon," she laughed.

"I can. It's not like yesterday wasn't hectic," I said, stretching.

"Hectic? That's the understatement of the century," she said.

"Well I'll be around for the entirety of this century, so I'll be sure to let you know if it is," I said sarcastically.

"God you're so sarcastic," she said, shaking her head and smiling.

I grinned. "It's part of my charm," I said, picking up a book off her nightstand and glancing at the cover.

"What's 'Dead to the World?'" I asked, wondering what is was about.

"It's the fourth book in a series. One of the vampires in the series loses his memory and starts falling for the books' heroine. He cares about her even when he has his memories, but he doesn't actually admit it until he's lost his memory," she explained, pulling clean clothes out of her dresser.

"Sounds sappy," I mumbled.

"It kind of is. Caroline said I would love the books, so I tried them out to humor her. Turns out they are pretty good," she admitted, shrugging.

"Are they anything like Twilight?" I asked with distaste.

She laughed softly. "Not hardly. None of these vampires sparkle," she said, leaning against the dresser.

I opened the book to where the bookmark was and started scanning the page, feeling my eyebrows lift when I saw just how different from Twilight's little twinkle fest. Actually, the particular scene she was at right now gave me a rather good idea.

"Are you getting a shower anytime soon?" I asked, glancing at the clothes in her hand.

"Yeah, why?" she asked, brow furrowing.

I smiled slightly and put the book back on her nightstand.

"No reason," I lied.

"Right, okay," she mumbled, confused.

I just smiled, patiently waiting for her to get in the shower. After she went into the bathroom adjoined to her bedroom and turned the water on, I easily slid off her bed as I heard the shower start running.

I walked into the bathroom quietly, my lip curling as I watched her silhouette move on the other side of the shower curtain. I stripped off my clothes and walked over, smiling with anticipation.

"Need some help?" I purred seductively as I pulled the curtain back.

She nearly jumped out of skin. "Um, I…"

I smiled, taking her hesitation as an affirmative. I got in behind her, pulling the curtain closed behind me. Her hair was soaked, so I began washing it, slowly working my fingers through her long, dark hair. Her back was to me, and I was standing close, so I could feel her shiver even under the stream of hot water. She sighed, leaning back into me. I silently thanked Eric Northman, the man in Dead to the World, for giving me the wonderful idea.

"Damon," she whispered my name softly.

I knew that she wasn't asking me anything, or expecting me to answer her. It was just her, softly sighing my name. I gently turned her around, leaning down to kiss her roughly and passionately. She parted her lips, and I slid my tongue in her mouth. She made a small noise of pleasure, touching my tongue with hers. She wound one hand in my hair, and the other she laid against my chest. As I deepened the kiss, she let her hand wander down to my stomach. Hesitating only slightly, she trailed her fingers down to my navel, then following the trail of dark hair that led down from there.

I remembered the first time we had been together, the way she had fumbled with the zipper of my jeans, so nervous of touching me there. She was so different now, openly touching me without hardly any hesitation.

I spun her around so that her back was against the wall of the shower, letting my hands explore her body like her fingers were slowly exploring me. I felt my face transform and my fangs lengthen as her fingernails gently brushed against me, and feeling the animal in me take control, I wound one hand through her hair to pull her head back, and then lunged at her neck, sinking my teeth in. She gasped with pleasure, arms wrapping around me. With one hand, I turned the water off, and not releasing her neck, I slid my arm under her legs to scoop her up. In a blur of motion, I had her on the bed, and I finally let go of her neck.

"You don't have to let go," she whispered hoarsely.

"I do not want to drain you," I said, arching one eyebrow.

"Good point," she mumbled.

I licked the two little wounds, allowing the healing coagulants in my saliva to heal the puncture marks in the side of her neck. I took her over and over again, took her until she screamed, took her until she actually asked me to bite her, took her until I had exhausted both of us.

"You are something else, Damon Salvatore," she whispered, resting her head on my chest.

I nodded, wrapping my arm around her waist. As she started to fall asleep, I began wondering what it would be like to have her forever. To never lose her, to love her for the next several centuries. All it would take would be one simple blood exchange and her death. And she would be mine. Forever.

I found myself intoxicated by the idea, fantasizing about it. I stroked her back, thinking about how striking she would look with her pretty face transformed. But deep down, I knew she would look nothing like Katherine did. I would make sure her humanity would never get turned off, no matter what. And I would stand by her, stand by her throughout eternity. We would hunt together, feed together, I would show her the amazing feel of pursuing your prey. Of course she would never kill, but she could snatch, eat, erase. I closed my eyes, visualizing the two of us dissolving into blurs in pursuit of our prey. I fell asleep fantasizing about my Elena as a vampire. My dreams were equally as intoxicating, featuring image after image of her as a vampire.

When I woke, my mind was still spinning. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't erase the thought of Elena being a vampire from my mind.

"What's on your mind?" Elena asked, meeting my eyes.

I laughed softly. "I didn't even realize you were awake," I said, stroking her hair.

"I am. So, what are you thinking about so hard?" she asked.

"Nothing that would interest you," I lied, knowing she would want to know what I was fantasizing about.

"Liar," she said, immediately catching my hesitation.

"I would never…do that to you," I murmured, turning away.

"Do what to me?" she asked, her brow furrowing as she took my face in her hands and turned me to face her again.

"Sentence you to this life. This curse," I sighed, feeling both conflicted and defeated.

"Are you talking about turning me?" she breathed, her eyes widening slightly.

"I would never do it, just…dream about it," I admitted.

"You would want me around for that long?" she asked, much to my shock.

"That is what I want more than anything else in this entire world, Elena," I said honestly, meeting her dark brown eyes.

"I never knew you wanted that," she said, blushing slightly.

"I have wanted to turn you ever since that night we danced in the Grill. But it's hardly like I could. You are human, and I'm not going to force you into this life," I said, hoping I didn't sound too much like Stefan.

She was silent, lost in her thoughts. I hoped I hadn't upset her.

* * *

The next day, after I came home from drinking some at the Grill, I was surprised to sense that Elena was already there. She'd said that her, Bonnie, and Caroline were going shopping, and I had expected them to be gone longer.

I walked into my bedroom, taking in the candles lit everywhere. They were on my dresser, on my nightstand, on the window ledges, anywhere that they could be set. When I glanced at the bed, I had to clench my jaw to keep from dropping it. Elena was laying on my bed in…how did I explain it. Lacy. Uh huh, definitely lacy. Lingerie. Lacy lingerie. I felt my thoughts go incoherent, and I pulled off my jacket and threw it over the desk chair. I fumbled with my black leather belt, unable to tear by gaze from Elena, who was swathed in black lacy lingerie, stretched out on my bed.

"Why are you in such a hurry?" she teased, propping herself on her elbows.

"Gee, I wonder," I choked, using vampire strength to tear the stupid damned belt in half before pulling it from my jeans. She smiled, watching me closely as I unbuttoned my shirt and yanked it from my shoulders.

"Relax, why don't you," she sighed, still smiling.

"Not likely," I muttered, trying like hell to unsnap my jeans. And were they tighter than usual or was it just me?

"We should talk," she said, sitting up.

"_Talk_? You dress up in _that_ and you want to _talk_?" I said, my voice begging her to change her mind.

"We can talk afterwards, if you'd rather," she said much to my intense relief.

"Yes. After. Definitely after," I said, adding my boxers to my growing pile of discarded clothing.

I immediately got on top of her, my mouth seeking hers. She kissed me back as intensely as she could, and I let out a small noise of pleasure. I reached down and gently fondled her breast through her lacy bra, and she made a noise of pleasure similar to mine. She reached down to touch me, and this time I moaned softly, increasing the pressure between her mouth and mine.

As she pressed herself against me, I pulled away from her mouth. I leaned down and took the top of her lacy underwear between my teeth and ripped them off of her, and then repeated the process with her bra. She again softly moaned, and I brought my mouth back to hers, sliding my tongue forcefully into her mouth. She opened her mouth further, allowing me complete entrance. I reached down to gently touch her, and feeling her readiness, I entered more forcefully than I ever had before.

She cried out, arching into me. Forgetting the entire world, forgetting how to think, I let the rest of the night dissolve into a sweet, blissful blur.

**Elena**

When I awoke, mine and Damon's limbs were tangled together, a sheet twisted between us. We were laying on top of the blankets, and sunlight came through the window and shone on Damon's bare skin.

I reached up and gently traced his face, running my fingers over his cheekbone and then over his jaw line, becoming lost in his features. I traced his collarbone, down his side, the smooth angle of his hipbone. My breath was taken away by the sheer and complete beauty of him, sleeping and bathed in sunlight. I could only hope that he would at least consider my idea, which intoxicated me to no end. I continued to study him, this time taking in the finer features of his face. He had long, dark eyelashes that when his eyes were open, framed the most beautiful blue eyes in the world. I then took in the rest of his face; his perfect fair skin, the sculpted mouth I had kissed so many times…I could analyze his features forever. I smiled when his eyelids fluttered and then opened, and I was immediately captured by the shocking blue of his eyes.

"Good morning," I whispered, my breath catching in my throat as I feared his reaction to what I wanted to talk to him about.

"Yes it is," he agreed, stroking my arm.

I smiled, pulling myself closer to him and curling up next to him. His arms encircled my waist, and I kissed him gently.

"So about what I wanted to talk to you about…" I trailed off, biting my lip.

"Oh yeah, you did want to talk about something," he said offhandedly.

"This is serious, Damon," I said, meeting his eyes. He sighed, and stopped joking around.

"What is it?" he asked, his blue eyes somber and serious for a change.

"It's about you. Being a vampire," I started, and pressed my finger to his lips when he opened them to speak.

"I talked to Bonnie while we were at the mall, and she said that her and her grams had found a reversal spell in Emily's spell book. A vampire found out that Emily had found a way to reverse vampirism, and because the vampire didn't want it used on him - or at least I think Bonnie said it was a him - he killed her. That's how Emily died," I explained, relaying what Bonnie had told me. She had used the necklace Emily had given Katherine to see how Emily had died, and through her powers she had seen the whole awful scene of the vampire snapping Emily's neck. She said that the crystal still had enough of Emily's energy in it for her to see images through it.

"So let me get this straight. Bonnie and her grandmother can turn me…human," he said the last word hesitantly, as if it was foreign on his tongue.

"Yes. That is exactly what I'm saying," I said, smiling when he didn't immediately reject it.

"I have been a vampire for…168 years," he breathed, his brow furrowing.

"I know, I just…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up," I stammered, knowing I'd been selfish in asking him to give up eternal youth and beauty simply for me.

"Yes you should have," he argued.

"No, I probably shouldn't have. Damon, you are a vampire. And it's selfish of me to ask you to give that up."

"Elena, you don't understand. I _want_ to be human."

* * *

I sat at the edge of the bed, waiting for Damon to wake up. I'd had Bonnie and her grams perform the spell at the boardinghouse to where he'd be comfortable when he woke up, and they had left now that they'd finished the spell.

He was breathing deep and even, and my pulse rocketed when his eyes flickered open.

"Is it done?" he asked, a trace of excitement in his voice.

I smiled. "It is. You're human," I said, reaching out to caress his face.

"This feels odd, having a heartbeat," he laughed, smiling back at me.

"Do you like it? Being human?" I asked, praying he wouldn't say he regretted it.

"I love it. Everything feels so…alive. No pun intended," he added, leaning over to kiss me. I was surprised to feel that his lips were warm against mine, because I was so used to their slight coolness. I realized that I wanted to see in him what I hadn't been able to when he was a vampire. I wanted to see the blood flowing to his face, I wanted to be with him the human way.

I kissed him vigorously and passionately, and I smiled when I pulled back and saw that his face was flushed, just slightly. He was even more perfect and beautiful than he had been as a vampire, though I hadn't thought it possible.

"You are so beautiful," I whispered, sliding into bed next to him.

"I know," he smirked.

"Well, at least you haven't lost your ego," I laughed.

"Oh please. You could have Glenda the Good Witch make me a werewolf and I'd still have my ego," he scoffed.

"You are so cocky," I sighed.

"I have every right to be. You said yourself I'm beautiful."

"And you are. Beautiful and cocky," I said, resting my head on his shoulder.

"You wouldn't have me any other way."

"Of course not. You are my beautiful, cocky Damon," I said sarcastically.

"Always will be," he added.

"Always," I agreed, taking his hand.

He leaned over and kissed me, and it deepened immediately. Clothes started being shed, and I was arched and ready for him when I suddenly remembered something.

"Stop!" I said, sitting up so fast I knocked him off the bed.

He looked up at me from the floor, one eyebrow lifted. He got to his feet and laid down beside me, gazing at me questioningly.

"Unless you would like me to get pregnant, we are going to need protection," I reminded him.

"Ah hell. I guess we do," he agreed, sighing.

"Sorry. It's one of the downsides of being human," I teased him lightly.

"I think I'll get over it," he said sarcastically.

"You better," I scoffed, matching him sarcasm for sarcasm.

He smiled, leaning in to kiss me. It deepened, and I rested my hand on his chest as he pulled me closer. I could feel his pulse picking up, feel his heart rate accelerate.

"Love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," I said, kissing him gently and sweetly.

It was true. I loved him more than I had ever thought I could love anyone in the world. Loved him so much it hurt. I had fallen for him so completely and totally that it now consumes everything that I am.

And all it had taken was five minutes.

* * *

"_Breathe in breathe out, there is no sound, we move together up and down. We levitate, our bodies soar, our feet don't even touch the floor. And nobody knows you like I do, the world doesn't understand. But I grow stronger in your hands. Turn the lights down low, take it off, let me show my love for you insatiable."_

~Darren Hayes

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Surprise, Damon's human! I know, I know, it's a little weird, but my idea helper drodgers89 and I discussed it and decided that Elena being the one to become a vampire would just be too done, too cliché. Don't get me wrong, I thought about it, but Damon being human is an idea that hasn't been used in a fanfic (or at least not often) and I wanted to see if I could make it work.**

**And as always, thank you so much to my readers, who without I wouldn't have gotten this far, and to drodgers89 for her constant help with ideas! You guys are awesome!**


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